


Strange Geometry

by tsuki_fics, Tsukiori (tsuki_fics)



Category: Amnesia: The Dark Descent
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-05-03
Updated: 2013-09-03
Packaged: 2017-11-04 18:50:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 36
Words: 178,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/397066
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tsuki_fics/pseuds/tsuki_fics, https://archiveofourown.org/users/tsuki_fics/pseuds/Tsukiori
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>During the final confrontation with Alexander, Daniel accidentally falls through the rabbit hole.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Daniel hadn't thought that it were possible to be in so much pain. It felt as if he were being turned inside out and flayed simultaneously. He wondered if this were hell, if the Shadow had seized him in the last instant before he and Alexander tumbled through the portal and vengeance was now being wrecked upon him by the countless dead, a sweet little girl and a mad old man.

He couldn't see Alexander. They had been wrested apart by the energies of the gateway as soon as they had fallen in. He had heard his name being called, whether in fury or pain he could not tell, and then the eerie silence of the void before his own screams filled it as the pain took hold.

 _I'm glad_ , he thought through his tears, _I hope he never gets home_. _If I am damned, let him be even more so._ He thought of Agrippa, dropped in the ensuing struggle as Alexander tried to prevent Daniel from setting the corpse free. He was now lying forgotten in the halls of Brenneberg; doomed for an eternity to silence and darkness and living death. _I'm sorry_ , Daniel tried to form the words but could no longer feel his lips, wondered if he even had a mouth anymore. _I'm so so sorry, I never meant to break my promise to you. Not after everything you did for me._ It was his last thought as the agony of his body increased and his consciousness slipped away.

Sunlight pierced through the frail protection of his eyelids, into his very skull. He rolled over, trying to escape it and got a mouthful of sand for his efforts. Coughing, he rose up on his elbows, disoriented. There was sand as far as he could see and for one confused moment he thought he must be back in Algeria, that Brennenberg and its horrors had been nothing more than a dream. The heat was all wrong though, there was scare any to be had. The sun in Africa had beat down upon him mercilessly. This temperature though… it was like standing in a sunny spot in England in the summer; it could get uncomfortable if you stood still for too long, but was tolerable none the less. How very odd.

He tried to rise to his feet, but could manage no more than a crouch before the world started spinning. He sat down with a graceless thump. Memory caught up to him. Not just the fight with Alexander but the long hours leading up to it, on the run from monstrosities, the scrapes and bruises gained from flight and hiding, the luckless moments when a claw would graze him when he stumbled… No wonder his every breath pained him. And that awful awful fall. Which brought up a very good point: where in hell was he?

Had Brennenberg fallen and this wasteland was what had replaced it? Was he somehow transported to somewhere else? But no place on Earth had a desert so agreeable, none that he knew of at least. He played with the idea that he had gone mad, but dismissed it. He had already been insane once, his old self that was, and though his time in his life before his amnesia potion seemed as dim as a dream, he could still remember the sharp textures of madness, the hard angles of it in his mind. No, he didn't have the luxury of insanity this time around.

Drawing his knees up to his chest, he pressed his face against them. He didn't know what to do. He was lost, hurt, exhausted…not to mention naked. Had he braved the perils of Brennenberg, escaped the Shadow, fought off a mad baron and the even madder echoes of his former self just to die of starvation in an unknown wilderness? It seemed horribly ignoble. But maybe it was fitting. He had crimes to pay for. They were half remembered, but it was still his hand, this body, that had committed those atrocities. Blood will out.

The world spun again and he squeezed his eyes shut harder, trying his hardest not to give into hysterics. He had survived so much, endured so much, and would not unman himself at the end of his life.

A sound behind him of sand being unsettled. It came again. Footsteps? His mind conjured a monstrosity come to devour him. That would be a fitting end indeed. Maybe a more welcome one instead of the long agony of starvation and dehydration. He struggled to turn, to face his death with some remnants of dignity.

A man was staring at him, confusion evident on his face. _That makes two of us then_ , Daniel thought. The man was dressed oddly, tight breeches that looked to be of some scaled material, a shirt that would have been billowing if it had not been tied down by bits of string and sashes in a pattern that looked haphazard. He had long hair that appeared white in the sunlight. Daniel assumed it must be a light blond in color for the man's face was young and unlined, maybe a few years older than Daniel himself.

"Hello." His voice was cracked and dry. He attempted a smile.

The man's face darkened. He snapped something in a language Daniel had never heard before, had never heard anything that could have been its relation before. It was fluid and rapid with odd sibilant hisses punctuated throughout. When Daniel only shook his head, the man's expression grew angry and another long stream of incomprehensible words was thrown at him.

Daniel only shook his head again and smiled. "I'm sorry, I don't understand." He spread out his hands in a placating gesture. "Can you speak French?" he asked, switching to that language. The man only stopped talking to draw breath for another angry tirade. "No, then. How about Arabic? German?" His German was horrible but he felt he could make himself passable in it. The man stared at him, sullen. Daniel sighed and then did a flurry of inquires in every classical language he knew as a lark. Well, the man didn't look angry anymore. He just looked more confused than when he had first appeared with uneasiness now thrown into the mixture.

Another pretty stream of words that ended in an upward lilt and Daniel assumed a question had been asked. He shook his head and smiled, trying to appear harmless and friendly and probably just managing to look daft. The man's shoulders rose and fell in a sigh, he looked upward to the heavens as if asking for guidance or patience. His gaze fell back on Daniel. He frowned, and then held out a hand palm up; he raised it in a sharp gesture. Daniel tilted his head to the side. Another sigh. He took a step closer to Daniel's prone form and repeated the gesture, starting at the height of Daniel's head and raising it to the height of his own.

"Oh, you want me to stand! I tried that earlier, I am afraid I wasn't very successful." He tried again though to appease the increasingly frustrated man who might turn out to be his increasingly frustrated rescuer. He didn't even make it as far as his knees before the world turned grey and he felt as if his blood were being replaced with ice water. The man was leaning down and peering at him intently. It was Daniel's turn to sigh.

After a few moments of hesitation, the man extended a hand then the other. "Yes, that might work." Daniel took hold of the offered hands, noting they were slightly calloused. He gritted his teeth as he was pulled upright…and promptly fainted.

His body was being gently rocked from side to side. It was like being in a boat… or on a horse. He opened his eyes, stirred against the firmness at his back. The firmness stirred back. He was being held by someone. He realized that there was an arm around his waist which tightened its grip when he began to stir. Daniel let himself go limp to show that he had enough sense not to struggle and pitch them from the beast they were on. He opened his eyes and met a pair staring down intently at him. What a remarkable color, he thought, mind still a bit muzzy.

He was sitting side saddle across the other man's lap, the arm not around him was behind his shoulders propping him up. The man had also taken off his unusual shirt to reveal a snugger fitting undershirt of the same color. The feel of cloth against his battered skin solved that little mystery. The man had draped his shirt over Daniel. Without the fastenings, the shirt was loose enough to do a fair job of hiding his nakedness. Daniel smiled and hoped the man could read the thank you in it. He pulled the shirt around him more tightly and tried to rise up into a more seated position, the effort exhausted him and he was soon falling back. The man said something that sounded soothing. Daniel closed his eyes and turned, cheek pressed against the man's chest.

A strange wickering cry came out of the horse and Daniel turned his head and opened his eyes once more. Not a horse. Most definitely not a horse. It had horns. Strange, long, evil looking things that protruded from either side of its great head. Daniel looked back at the man who didn't seem at all concerned about his mount. "What is that?" Daniel asked pointing at it.

The man's only response was to glance down at him and then back up in the direction they were heading in. "I don't like it!" A fair amount of panic was entering his voice. The man heard it too. The arm behind him moved to lean him closer. A hand was brushed over his face and tightened around his chin. The man said something firm. Get a hold of yourself, probably.

"But I don't." Daniel mumbled, petulant. The man smiled. His teeth looked very very sharp, the canines and their match on the bottom jaw were pronounced and pointed. Daniel couldn't help but shudder. The man said something that sounded at once mocking and placating. The hand left his face and pointed into the distance. Daniel followed the elegant line of the arm to where it was extended.

Not another castle, was his first thought. Then he fully took in what he was seeing. It shouldn't be able to stand, was his second thought. The architecture was impossible. It started off almost needle thin on the bottom and rose up into a blocky structure with wings and towers that shot off from it in defiance of gravity. It looked familiar… A blue glow flashed up from his memory, an orb in the darkness and a hand that was at once his own and not daring to touch the untouchable…and then his mind had been assaulted with visions from another world.

"No. No no no." He kept repeating the word and began to struggle against the other man's hold. The portal, that damnable portal. The man said something sharp, the beast halted as its master tried to restrain Daniel. "You don't understand! I'm not supposed to be here! It took the wrong one!" His pleas weren't understood. The man cursed and a grip as firm as iron was around his wrists. The man shook him and Daniel let his head loll back, not having the strength anymore to hold it up. The portal had worked after all, a gateway to another world. But it had brought the wrong person home. This was the world of Alexander. It had to be. "It took the wrong one." He mumbled, eyes squeezing shut.

* * *

The blankets stifled him and he kicked them off. There was an angry voice and they were pulled once more over him. Daniel again thrashed against them. A weight was over him, pressing him down into the mattress he laid upon. His wrists were roughly seized and held fast above his head. It was a struggle to open his eyes and when he did he found the odd eyes of his rescuer looking back at him. The man was practically straddling him, trying to keep him still. Daniel tossed his head, the only thing he could move and moaned. He felt hot, too hot, and sweat ran down his face in trickles.

"I feel ill." He whispered.

A question was asked, but he didn't know how to respond to it. The man slowly let go of one of his wrists and touched Daniel's throat. Again the same question and the man touched his chapped lips. Was he thirsty? Or hungry? 'Yes' to the former but the mere thought of the later made his stomach heave. He decided to take a chance and nodded. Apparently the gesture was another thing that didn't translate for the man continued to stare at him, fingers still against his mouth. Daniel smiled and repeated his nod. "Yes, water please."

The man snatched his hand back as Daniel's lips fluttered against his fingertips as he spoke. He slid off of him and stomped off with a rustle of fabric.

Daniel rolled over onto his side and drew himself up into a ball. He hurt. Everything hurt. And he felt so dry inside, as if he had taken all the heat the desert had lacked and stored it inside himself. The man came back bearing a container. The shape was wrong, alien, but the liquid that was poured from it and pressed to his lips was familiar and welcome. He wasn't allowed to gulp it, the man would draw it back after a few sips and the feeble grip Daniel had on his wrist was not enough to stop his withdrawal. The man sat on the bed and slowly let Daniel drink in this fashion. When Daniel began to cough on it, the glass was put aside.

He lay back, realizing for the first time that pillows were piled up behind him. The simple act of drinking had exhausted him. "Thank you, my friend," he remembered to say before falling back asleep.

* * *

Daniel awoke, shivering and drenched, feeling weak as a kitten and foul. He rolled over and shrieked, his side ignited in agony. He had to remain hunched into a ball, trying his best not to dissolve into sobs, for several minutes. A cool hand on his brow roused him and he opened his eyes again, ashamed that tears were streaming from them.

"Ah, my rescuer." His voice was cracked and small. He wondered if the man could hear him, then remembered that it did not matter; the man could not understand him no matter how loud or soft he spoke.

The man appeared to be in more casual dress, a robe made of some black material that shimmered slightly when he moved and which was cinched in at the waist with a number of complicated looking belts. Daniel could not tell if he was wearing shoes, then wondered why that seemed important to know. "Am I dying?" A quick, bird-like tilt of the head was his only reply. "I feel like I am dying." He rolled onto his back, more careful to mind his side this time.

He ran a hand cautiously down his body, starting from his throat and ending at the mass of bandages that encased him just above his hips. "What happened?"

Apparently his rescuer was curious about that point too, for a stream of very pretty words that ended with an upward lilt met him. It was Daniel's turn to turn his head to the side. The man sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. He extended his hand until it hovered over Daniel's injury and asked the same thing again.

Daniel frowned. "I'm sorry, I don' t know the answer to that either. Wait." A memory was stirring, one that seemed out of place in the warm room with the blazing fire and the comfort of a mattress against his back. Could it really have been-? He cursed the laudanum for being so adapt at dulling the senses. "I was attacked. In the water. I didn't know the damn thing was even there until it-" he made a clawing gesture at his wound. "You don't understand a word of this." Daniel thought a moment. There had been a name for that ghastly creature, Alexander had written it out, but how to pronounce it… He tried different combinations of sounds and intonations until he seemingly stumbled across the right one.

"Kaernk?" The man straightened and even seated Daniel could tell he was very tall. He was looking at Daniel as if he were a madman. He spoke and it was a reproach.

"You don't believe me. Well, I'm no liar. What kind of world you must live in where monstrosities like that can exist."

A question was asked, the man's face stern.

Daniel could only shake his head. "I'm sorry. I have no idea what-"

He was cut off with a single, violent slashing motion. The man was silent for a moment, eyes distant, and then they focused on Daniel with such intensity that Daniel found himself cringing back. The question was repeated but this time accompanied with a finger that moved in a circle around the room. This place? This area? The man then moved his hand in a fluid up and down gesture. Ah, water. Again the circle and then a violent slash. No water here? "Kaernk." He said followed by the sign for water.

"Yes, they did seem to only hound me in the submerged areas, thank God. Hm." Daniel pointed to his side. "Kaernk." He mimed a wave. "Water." Then empathetically pointed away and then away again. "A long long away from here, my friend."

The man looked puzzled and a bit wary. Daniel still hadn't convinced him it seemed. He wondered if this place had a version of Bedlam and if so, if it would soon become his new address. "I am telling the truth."

His host blinked, and then glowered. He pointed at a long gash that ran down his arm. "Kaernk?" Sarcasm was apparently universal.

Daniel gave a tired smile and shook his head. "No. Another monster. I do not know their proper title if they ever had one. Nightmares given flesh." He shuddered. "I don't want to talk about this anymore."

He was persistent though. A raw and abraded wound on his ankle was prodded. "?" And suddenly Daniel was in the dark again, cowering as the walls themselves seemed to quell as the Shadow howled for him, reality twisting into red webs of decayed flesh, a strand falling against his ankle, burning, devouring.

He jerked his leg away. "I told you, I am done with this topic!" He rolled over, back to the man. Was he truly safe, now? Had running to another world really been the only option? Alexander had seemed to think so, but Alexander had been a liar. And Alexander had also feared that Daniel would have carried the taint no matter where he fled.

His heart seemed to be skipping every other beat, it made breathing hard, made each gasp a chore. He felt sweat break out on his forehead, but his flesh was so cold, too cold. The room grew dark, shadows springing to life and reaching for him to drag him down into blackness before he could voice a scream.


	2. Chapter 2

When he dared to open his eyes, the room was no longer glowing that dreaded crimson nor were the walls pulsating sacks of flesh. The lusterless black of his surroundings confused him as did the texture of the sheets sticking to him by his sweat. He groaned and tried to untangle himself from the strange fabric but only succeeded in entangling his limbs more. Exhausted by even that small amount of movement, he fell back limp against the mattress.

Ill, he was ill. But why? Of course he should be weakened by his trials at Castle Brennenberg and he would not be surprised if his many wounds had become infected during his journey, but these present ailments of his felt unnatural, off…but familiar. So familiar, this shaking and this ache that pierced to his very bones. He held a hand out before him and grimaced when he could barely keep it steady. This had happened before, hadn't it? He was sure of it. Yes, in the castle. He had started to have tremors in the prisons, but thankfully there had been a bottle of-

"God damn you!" He cursed and summoned a burst of strength to throw one of the many pillows at the wall. It fell short of its intended target.

A soft snort from behind him and he turned over quickly, his wounds protesting. The man, his rescuer, was seated on a spindly chair which had been pulled up to his bedside. One long finger marked his place in the book that rested in his lap. When he saw that he had Daniel's attention he raised an eyebrow.

"I…" Daniel felt his face heat. How his childish outburst must have looked… And he couldn't even explain himself. But he should at least try. "My fever, this illness, it is not natural." He placed a hand on his forehead and shook his head.

The amusement faded from the man's eyes. He leaned forward and touched Daniel's brow as well. He made a tsking sound and asked a question that Daniel could only shake his head at. He mimed drinking from a glass.

"Oh, yes. I mean no, that wasn't what I was…but I am rather thirsty."

A glass was poured for him and Daniel again flushed with shame as he realized his hands were not steady enough to hold it himself. The man's face was neutral as he held the glass to Daniel's lips and helped him drink.

"Thank you. But as I was saying, this," he touched his brow again, "isn't from here." He laid his hand splayed across his breast and shook his head.

The words that followed sounded a bit patronizing and the man gently touched the wound on his side, still heavily bandaged, but no longer soaking through every few hours.

"No, I thought so at first as well, but…" Daniel sighed. He touched his side and several of his other injuries, shaking his head. He remembered the gesture the man had made earlier and repeated the slash motion he had seen. "No. It's…My former self…" He growled in frustration, pulled at his hair.

A gentle hand on the back of his neck and soothing, pretty words. "I'm fine. It's just…frustrating." He combed his fingers through his hair, shuddering at how grimed it felt. "There was this tincture called laudanum, I had these awful dreams you see…Well, never mind that. How to gesture this…?" Daniel mimed drinking. The man immediately turned to pour him another drink. "No that's not what I…thank you." He let himself be given a few sips and then waved the glass away. "The long and short of it is, I must have become addicted to it, though my memory is rather hazy...never mind. But I now fear that I am going through withdrawal." He mimed drinking again followed quickly by the slashing sign then held his hand up for the man to observe his palsy. "My former self was quite the idiot it would seem."

That head tilt to the side that showed his explanation had been futile.

Daniel sighed. "It's not very important. I fear that you would have no idea what laudanum is here nor would you be able to obtain some. It seems I must suffer through this and either come out whole or die in the attempt. Not that death would be so terrible." He mused turning his back to the man. The shuddering inside of him was rising once more to claim him and he was tired. So very very tired.

...

His teeth chattered together so hard he wondered if they had shattered. There was blood in his mouth. He imagined his gums sliced to ribbons by those pearly shards, his tongue sawed off by their jagged edges. Forever mute, forever doomed to witness horror and not have words to scream. Figures, familiar monstrosities, circled around his bed, licking their lips in anticipation for the feast his corpse would make. Hunger made their eyes feral, saliva dripping from their maws. A portly man with an impressive mustache held a knife and fork at the ready, pausing every now and then to sharpen one against the other and to give Daniel a greedy leer. Daniel whimpered, his ruined mouth aching. He closed his eyes tightly, denying what he was seeing.

The next time he burst into consciousness, it was the dead who stood vigil at his wake. The desecrated dead. None of them were whole, their grey and bloodless bodies ripped and maimed, limbs missing from some, innards spilling out of others. These looked more familiar than the monsters that had come before and Daniel remembered the chambers hidden within the depths of Alexander's castle. "I'm sorry." He murmured, tears falling down his cheeks. A small girl, straight black hair tied back in a long plait, weaved her way through the crowd and pulled herself up onto the bed. The mattress did not dip at her weight and he remembered that now she would weigh no more than a shaft of moonlight.

"We're waiting." She said, her little voice solemn.

Daniel touched the bruises that encircled her neck. The perfect match to his fingers. "I know." She smiled at that.

A noise behind him and he felt arms encircle his shivering form, pulling him against a strong body that cooled the heated flesh of his own. "Stay with me." What a lovely voice. Oddly familiar.

The haunts disappeared. Daniel touched the back of one of the hands, managed to lace his fingers through its. "I'll try." His voice lacked conviction.

...

Alexander was leaning over him, long white hair brushing his cheeks. Daniel batted it away, annoyed more than alarmed. "You've lost so much weight." He murmured in that striking, deep voice that was almost all the memory Daniel had of him. A hand cupped his cheek and Daniel jerked away. Alexander sighed. "What in the worlds is the matter with you? Your wounds are no longer infected and this fever is not something natural."

"I tried to tell you before." Had he though? When had he told this to Alexander? "I am in withdrawal from the laudanum."

"Law-dah-numb?"

"Do not pretend not to know it! You are the one that introduced me to the foul stuff to begin with. I think."

"What is this laudanum?"

"A narcotic."

Alexander's yellow eyes blazed. "And why ever would you be stupid enough to become addicted to a narcotic?"

"Dreams." Daniel muttered. "Such horrible, horrible dreams."

Alexander made a soothing sound, an odd combination of a tsk and a cluck, and Daniel felt a cool hand against his brow, closing his eyes. "Sleep, little one."

It was strange. He could not recall any kind words from Alexander, nor even if the man had ever touched him.

"Why are you doing this?"

"You are a gift. My gift. I will not so lightly relinquish you." Sleep was tugging him back into its tumultuous depths once again, but before he gave himself up to oblivion, he swore he felt the brush of lips against his own.

Then one day he awoke and it was over. He had come back to himself, had wound his way through his delirious dreams and stumbled back to life, though still too weak to even lift his head from his sweat drenched pillows. His hair was plastered to his face and the sheets stuck to him unpleasantly. He was still naked, but realized it was probably more to do with the ease of his care than any impropriety on his host's part. Speaking of which… He turned his head slowly trying not to black out again.

The man himself was seated on the same skeletal chair from before, still brought up as close to the bed as possible, a booted foot resting on the mattress. He was being watched warily and Daniel fretted over what he had put the poor thing through. He hoped taking care of him hadn't proven too much of an ordeal. Daniel's lips twitched and he hoped it was a smile. The man's brows drew down.

"I honestly cannot thank you enough for all your kindness. Looking after me must not have been…pleasant." The man tilted his head to the side, listening, but perhaps not understanding what Daniel was trying to convey.

Still keeping the smile plastered to his face he extended his hand towards the man. Those golden eyes turned distrustful, but at last his host reached out and took the hand offered to him. Daniel squeezed it. "My thanks." The man let him hold his hand until he drifted back to a sleep that now promised little more than rest and healing.

* * *

Daniel tried to rise from the bed, but his host forcibly pushed him back down. "But I feel well enough!" He protested. "I am going out of my mind stuck in this bed and the sheets, not to mention myself, are positively rank!"

The man's only response was to lean harder against his shoulders. Daniel sighed and let himself be pushed back into the bed, the blankets pulled up below his chin.

"I want a bath." He tried again. "A…A bath." He tried his best to mime his desire whilst looking imploringly at his savior.

That familiar head twist to the side and a growled comment were his answer.

"Please! My hair," he tried to pull his fingers through his hair but was thwarted by the many snarls, "I cannot stand it another day! Please give me a washbasin or something." He drew his hands up to his face in rapid gestures, mimicking water being splashed onto it.

The man's eyes actually rolled up to the heavens. "It is not too great a request to make, surely!" Daniel replied with a pout.

The man held his hand out to Daniel. He stared at it a moment then cautiously took it. A quick pull and Daniel was tugged to the edge of the bed. The man released him and took a step back. A sharp word and the fast hand gesture he had given in the desert. _Stand up._

Daniel gulped. He hadn't tried to get out of bed for what felt like weeks, but his desire to be clean shouted down his doubts. He stood up… His knees immediately gave out beneath him and he pitched forward into the man's chest.

 _See?_ He seemed to murmur, catching Daniel effortlessly, running a hand down his back to soothe.

"Fine then! You've made your point!" Daniel pushed away from him, falling back into the bed. "I just wanted to feel, I do not know, some semblance of normality. I…" His shoulders slumped and he had to hide his face behind his hands for several moments.

When the man spoke next Daniel had to peek between his fingers to make sure it was the same person. The tone was quiet, almost crooning. Daniel wouldn't have expected him to be capable to speak in anything that wasn't in a gruff, no-nonsense tone.

"What?" He snapped, lowering his hands.

A tapered nail traced down his cheek. It withdrew wet. A question in that same quiet voice. Daniel scrubbed at his cheeks, furious with himself. "I am sorry. I don't mean to act like a…a…so unmanly, but," he paused to make sure his voice would remain level, "I have been through so much." He turned away. "So very very much."

The hand under his chin yanked his face back around and held him there. Startled, Daniel met the man's gaze and was seized by it. His face was impassive, but his eyes shimmered with heat. Daniel wondered if his moment of self pity had offended his host. The man rubbed at his cheek with his thumb, uttered a word. Was that amazement in that tone? Wonder? Daniel slowly pulled away, not breaking eye contact, almost afraid the man would leap on him if he did. It was slow to form and very faint, but Daniel was almost positive that his host was smiling. Then he turned on his heels and left the room.

Daniel sighed and settled back into his nest of blankets and sheets. It seemed as if he must bear his own stench for a while longer.

He had almost drifted off when the door slid open and the man returned bearing a deep basin and a good deal of cloth draped over his arm.

"Oh, thank you!" Daniel tried to slide out of bed, but had to pause at the edge for the world has started to spin.

A short bark of laughter and a reprimanding word. Daniel tried to reach for the basin but the man easily evaded him, setting it on a small, low table by his bed. "Give me a cloth at least." But his hand was swatted away when he attempted to snatch one. Daniel pouted and the man chucked him under the chin. He threw the bundle of linens down beside Daniel and selected one that didn't seem as…shiny as the rest. This one was plunged into the water. Daniel's right arm was grabbed and pulled out. Confused at first, Daniel soon realized what the man meant to do. "No, please! I can do it for myself."

He tried to twist away, but the man held firm, squeezing until Daniel was sure he would bruise. He let himself relax and the man's hold on him lessened. The cloth was wrung out one handed and soon began to be swiped over his limb. He shuddered as the cool water touched his flesh.

"You could have let it rest before the fire for a moment." He muttered.

His only response was his other arm being seized and stretched out.

Daniel fought again when the man began on his chest and back, but his host remained firm and insisted. "At least let me…" He gestured down at his more intimate areas, unable to fight the blush that spread on his cheeks.

Again he was treated to a barely there smile and, surprisingly, the cloth was relinquished. Daniel took it, thankful, and quickly took care of himself. He went to throw it back into the basin, but the man took it from him and flung it down on the ground.

Daniel tsked. The man gave a cluck of his tongue and pulled out another cloth from the bundle, this one thicker and softer than the one he had used to scrub at Daniel. The towel was briskly rubbed over his body and when Daniel tried to protest this as well, his face was patted down roughly with it.

"You, sir, are no gentleman." He snapped.

A cajoling word and he soon found his arms being forced up and a shimmering fabric pulled down over his head. It was a goldish color that caught what little light there was in the room whenever he moved. When he ran his hand down it it felt smooth, cool. It weighed almost nothing at all, as if he were wearing the air itself.

The man growled something and Daniel was rearranged again, prone on the mattress with his head hanging off. "And what are you-" His chin was grabbed and forced back, his hair dipping into the water. "Oh."

Grabbing a bottle that had been hidden among the linens, the man rested it on Daniel's chest. Strong fingers combed through his hair, wetting it. Daniel winced when he pulled at one of his many tangles. The man clucked and rubbed a wet thumb along his hairline in apology. He was more careful when he next attacked the rat's nest on Daniel's head. When his fingers could run through without any obstructions, the bottle was snatched up and a liberal amount of the slimy liquid poured out. Daniel pulled a face. It was cold and felt unpleasant against his scalp. The man's fingers were strong and sure though and Daniel soon felt himself relaxing enough to doze.

The man's voice stirred him. Had he asked him a question? Daniel tried to rouse himself but the man held him down easily, those long fingers massaging the nape of his neck. Daniel made a sound between a purr and a moan, which made the man chuckle. All too soon his hair was swooped to the side out of the water and swaddled with the towel.

A hand on the back of his neck and one under his shoulder helped him to sit up.

"Thank you." Daniel murmured sleepily, wiping his hair with the towel. "You have no idea how much that was appreciated." He stretched, luxuriating in the feel of his clean flesh against the cool fabric of what he supposed was his night shift. His rescuer stared at him, frozen in the act of picking up the towel he had dropped onto the covers. After a long and awkward moment the man rightened himself, turning away to cough.

Daniel began to lay down, but was quickly stopped. "What?" Even the act of staying still and letting another bathe him had exhausted him. He wanted nothing more than to sleep.

The man pulled on the sheets and said a word. Oh. That did make sense. Daniel had lain on them and sweated in them for Lord knows how long… The question of how to get him out of the bed was answered by his host effortlessly scooping him up in his arms and dropping him into a chair. Daniel was thankful that this one seemed to have more padding than the one that resembled interlaced bones that the man seemed to favor. He closed his eyes and began to drift again.

The door opened and closed, but a hand on his cheek revealed that his new friend had not left his side. The maids then, he assumed. The sounds of a bed being stripped and remade seemed to support his guess. It was odd that the man hadn't relegated the task of his toilet to a manservant. Odd that he seemed to serve Daniel himself and to have nursed him through his illness. Maybe it was some form of etiquette here, to serve one's guest yourself instead of foisting them off on servants. Speaking of which, Daniel wondered what they looked like. The only denizen he had seen of this world, if he did not count Alexander, was his host.

But opening his eyes again proved to be too much of a chore. He turned slightly to the side, letting his cheek rest against the padding of the chair. A strand of his hair was tucked behind his ear. "What am I to do with you?" Fingers were scratching behind his ear and Daniel leaned into them.

"I honestly have no idea." Daniel answered. The fingers stilled and there was a sharp intake of breath. There was a sensation in his head, like fingernails scrambling for purchase, but they were easily ignored by simply plunging into a deep sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Daniel shivered and curled up into a tighter ball, pulling the covers up to his chin. How he hated the night! With no window in his barren room there should have been no way for him to mark the absence of the sun, yet he easily could. Though there was no discernible light source in his room, in the daylight hours-what Daniel assumed to be the daylight hours- his room was brightly lit. As the day waned, so to his invisible lamps until he could barely see his hand before his face. Maybe it was this place's way of telling its guest that it was time for bed. What a chilling thought, that this keep were somehow…sentient.

These dim hours were unbearable. It made him grind his teeth and try not to remember his previous days, chased and hunted; his only companion a dying lantern.

Maybe he could ask his host for another light source, this world's equivalent of a gas lamp, to keep the night at bay. Or ask him to keep the bloody lamps lit.

He rolled over, trying to will sleep. What he would not give for some- He squelched that thought before it could fully form, though his hands began shaking in remembrance and want.

He tried to remember what he had done in his past when sleep was being a fickle mistress. His past was such a murky mire though, he could not easily pluck things from it. Certain memories stood out in stark relief: the sting of his father's belt against his back, the joy he felt in the ruins of Algeria, Herbert's booming and avuncular voice… Everything else was shapeless, oft times taking on tantalizing half-forms that seemed almost obtainable, tempting him to reach out and take them. But when he tried, they always burst like the most fragile of soap bubbles, slipping through his fingers and back into the shadows of his mind. He was beginning to suspect that his past, the Old Daniel's past, might be lost to him forever. Maybe that was no bad thing.

He twisted around yet again. Damnation! These melancholy musings were not aiding him to relax at all!

Sitting up he peered into the gloom. He could make out the posts of the bed, but little beyond. Hysteria threatened, as it always did, and he took deep breaths to will his heartbeat back to normal.

He was thirsty. He would have to wait until his host poked back in, he supposed. Daniel seemed to be checked on almost hourly during the day, but when he would most welcome the company, the man was never around.

"Well, he has to sleep too." He muttered. "I can't expect the lord of this keep to act as my own personal servant." Though that was what the man seemed to be doing. Bringing him his meals, fetching water, even clearing away his chamber pot.

There had to be servants in a place this big! He had a dim recollection of hearing them change his bedclothes when he was dozing in the armchair. But why had they not made themselves known to him? Were they being kept from him? Or mayhaps it was the other way 'round: his host did not want them exposed too much to his otherworldly visitor.

Daniel groaned. The dark was driving him mad. Again. Drastic action was called for. He slipped from the bed, bracing for the chill of the floor against his bare feet. It didn't come. The floor was warm, pleasantly so, as if it were heated somehow. He tried to stand, but his knees buckled immediately, spilling him to the floor. He muttered an oath and curled up until the pain of his bruised legs and ego faded.

There were two doors in his room: the main one the man used to visit him and another, smaller one. The smaller one was not often entered. It was where the man took his chamber pot to be emptied and where he went when Daniel claimed to be thirsty, returning with a filled jug of water. Since Daniel did not relish the thought of exploring another castle alone in the dark, this second door seemed the better diversion. But how to get there when he had just proven he could not stand?

At any rate, he couldn't even rise to get back into bed, so there really was no helping but to press on. "Luckily there is no one to witness this," He said through gritted teeth. He began to crawl and even that was almost too much for his trembling limbs.

The darkness pressed upon him even more as he slowly made his way to the small door. He felt the smooth, warmed floor underneath him shudder and begin to tilt. The edges of his vision started to waver and almost glitter. "No." He paused, closing his eyes tightly. "You will not give in. Think of how humiliating if our host were to visit us and find us having fainted." Imagine how humiliating it was going to be when his host came to bring him his breakfast and found Daniel smiling sheepishly beside the bed, waiting to be lifted back into it. He laughed and the grey mist began to recede and the floor steadied. Good.

He reached the door with no more incident. His hands shook as they reached up for the doorknob. Was there one? His fingers encountered only smooth, cool material that felt like stone but was grained as if wooden. "Damn it. Do not tell me I have hurt myself and crawled all this way for naught." He gave the door a rap of frustration…and it sprang open. Daniel scrambled back, but when nothing stumbled out from the room beyond hungering for his blood, he cautiously entered.

Light flooded the room immediately. Daniel cried out in surprise and pain, his hands coming up to shield his eyes. Apologies were tumbling from his lips, but when he lowered his hands the room proved to be empty. Were the lamps then… somehow automatic?

"I feel more and more like the Belle in the castle of the Beast. Invisible servants, self-lighting lamps, an aloof host…" Daniel trailed off, shaking his head. He hadn't thought about fairytales in…since… His mind fumbled for the name. Hazel. Since his sister Hazel. He could not even conjure up the image of her face.

He sighed and looked around at this new area he had discovered. It was around half the size of his bedchamber, the walls and ceiling still that forsaken, unrelenting black, but were not as unrelentingly smooth. The floor appeared to be tiled and the walls weren't entirely without decoration here either. They were carved with whorls and curls lending the place a soothing, almost organic air. There was even a pool of water in the middle and some sort of sculpture that rose from it. The structure was long and snake-like, jagged bits of metal and glass sticking out from it every which way. It curved gracefully over the water, the bend of it reminding Daniel of a spine …and that conjured up the memory of that strange creation he had stumbled across in the back hall of Brennenberg. Horrid thing. How had his past self not guessed that the baron was not all together in the right?

He reached out and dipped his fingers in the still water. The statue made a gurgling sound and he jerked them back. Water began to gush from it, pouring down into the waiting pool in a small waterfall. "This is a bathing area, is it not?" Daniel looked around him again with wonder. There were other basins set into the walls, almost hidden by the decorations. Daniel wondered what they could possibly be for. Were they attached to some sort of well for drinking water?

He dipped his hand into the pool again. The water was warm and inviting. There was not a doubt in his mind to its purpose. He didn't hesitate before putting his bare legs into the waters. It would feel so good to have a proper bath or at least a proper soak. Horse baths didn't really leave one feeling as clean as one should be. He had a long night ahead of him and no audience. Surely he would dry before his host found him in the morning.

Sliding his nightshirt over his head, he threw it into a heap behind him. The water was heaven itself as he entered it. There was a small step that felt like stone and if he sat on it the water came up to his chest. If he sat on the very floor he judged that the level would rise to his chin. He ducked his head under the surface and leaned back against the edge when he emerged. He laughed as he combed his wet hair back from his face, an illicit thrill shivering through him; this was the most alive he had felt since he had been "born".

He closed his eyes and sunk deeper into the water, letting his head rest on the lip of the pool. His last few days had been dedicated to trying to survive and now that he was out of the woods, so to speak, and there were no longer any eldritch creatures hunting him or an addiction ravaging his body he was quite at a loss as to what to do with himself. Regain his strength, of course, and then… And then what?

Try to find a way back home? A home he could barely remember and what little he could was filled with horror. So could he really name it a 'home'? But surely he had family who were missing him. His sister, his…his…Hazel. That was it. And a father. His back ached at the thought of his father. He remembered raised hands and heated words, being thrown into a closet with no light and no food… Apparently his world had had more monsters than Alexander.

Return might not even be possible. So what then? He could not live off his host's charity for much longer. The poor man had put up with more than enough from him. Could he make it in this strange, new world? Find some sort of profession he could scrape together a living from? Besides languages and archeology he did not think that his former self had acquired any other skills that would lend him to any kind of livelihood. There was also the unsettling thought that out there in this unknown world lurked Alexander. If Daniel had made it through the portal in one piece, why not that mad man?

A throat cleared behind him. Daniel flinched, curling in on himself. His hand covered his head and he tried to make himself as small as possible.

His heart beat three times, hard and painful against his ribs, and then the sound was repeated followed by a small rapping against what must have been the door.

Slowly, Daniel unwound from his near fetal position. He leaned his head back and looked behind him. There was his host, upside down and looking torn between exasperation and fury. Daniel hurriedly turned around. When he started to apologize the man held up a hand and snarled something.

"I don't understand." He hadn't thought he had done anything that wrong…

The man stepped further into the room, hands clenched at his sides. He repeated his previous uttering, slow enough that the sarcasm of his words bled through. It ended in an upward lilt.

"Am I enjoying myself?" Daniel mused. "That probably is it. Yes, I am! Very much so!" He matched his pace of speaking with the man's, lacing it with annoyance. He had done nothing to earn such chastisement! Left to his own devices for hours on end, there were surely worse things than finding the bathing chamber and succumbing to its charms.

The man stormed over to a ledge in the wall that Daniel had not noticed before. He plucked two bottles of viscous liquid and threw them into the pool. Daniel sputtered as the water splashed his face. "Would you stop acting like a child?" He fished the bottles out, glad to see that they hadn't broken and set them on the side of the bath. "Why are you so upset anyway?"

A long, angry stream of words. Daniel shook his head and shrugged. He turned his head away, yelped as the man grabbed him by his hair and pulled him back around. The pain made tears spring up in his eyes. His host immediately let him go, his expression shuttering. The fire was dying in his eyes though. Maybe his rage was spending itself.

"So why are you so worked up?" Daniel rubbed at his scalp, wincing.

The man cocked his head to the side, eyes narrowing as he studied Daniel. He stood up, walked a few steps then mimed, slipping. He finished by hitting himself in the temple with the heel of his hand. When he was finished, he raised an eyebrow, hands on his hips.

"I could have hurt myself." Daniel closed his eyes. "Yes, I suppose I could have. And you were in such a tizzy it made you angry?"

A memory hit him then. An outing in summer to the lake. The sickening feeling when he realized that Hazel was no longer by his side. He had run through the crowd of children yelling her name, his stomach a spikey ball of ice despite the warm sun. He had found her minutes later, having felt a bit poorly and taken shelter in the shade of some nearby trees. He had yelled at her until she had cried, his fear of thinking she had drowned, his relief at her alive, mixing together inside into something akin to rage.

"I guess it was not so unreasonable a reaction. I am sorry to have worried you. Forgiven?" He held out his hand. The man took it, his eyes never leaving Daniel's face.

He muttered something under his breath. Don't ever do it again? Just be careful?

Daniel laughed and shook his head. "You are so taciturn my friend. Maybe you really do live alone here."

His host did not even bother to try to decipher his statement, instead seating himself on the floor as close as he could get to Daniel without entering the water. He selected one of the bottles and mimed shaking it out into his hand and washing it through his hair.

"Ah, soap!" Daniel pointed at the other one. "Then this one is…?"

The man made gestures of washing his body.

"I see. Um…Do you mind turning around while I…?" He thought he gestured his wish rather well, but the man only pulled his discarded night shift into his lap, long fingers worrying the golden fabric. "I see." Really, if he made it this far on his own, he could take a bloody bath unsupervised!

He sighed. "I can hardly fault you for being protective of me. That really would be uncharitable." He ducked under the water once then reached for the bottle the man had 'said' was for his hair.

The bath could have lasted a bit longer. Daniel was rather enjoying soaking in the warmth, the splashing of the falling water making little waves that lapped at him in a soothing manner. His host was growing impatient though and when Daniel nodded off for the second time, he began to pull on Daniel's arm. He tried to make Daniel stand, but Daniel quickly shook his head.

That seemed to take the man aback. He pointed to the bedroom, then the bath, making his fingers move in manner that resembled walking.

"No, I crawled." Daniel tried his best to mime it in the water, finally raising his knee up to show the bruises. The man's brows drew down, the fire returning to his eyes. "Please don't yell at me again!" Daniel held up his hands, placating.

His host shut his eyes for a moment. He seemed to have reached some sort of plan of action, for when he opened them he immediately swooped in on Daniel. Daniel cried out, startled, as the man plunged his arms into the water and lifted him out. "I could have crawled out on my own!" He gasped as he was swung up into his host's arms and carried into the bedchamber.

Daniel was thrown unceremoniously onto his bed. "I'm soaking wet! At least find something to-" His nightshift hit him in the face. "Be nice!"

Visibly trying not to laugh, the man sat on the edge of Daniel's bed, back to him. Grumbling, Daniel toweled himself off to the best of his ability with his nightshirt. He threw it at the man, hitting the back of his head. The laughter finally won its way free. He doubled over, shoulders twitching.

Daniel couldn't help but to smile as well. "I am fairly ridiculous, aren't I?" He moved around until he worked the covers over himself. "The lights are brighter. How do you make them-"

The man shushed him, pulling the blankets better around him. He made to leave, but Daniel grabbed his arm, staying him. Once stopped though, he realized he didn't know what to do to make him stay. "Your shirt is soaked through." He tugged on the sleeve of the wet shirt. The man glanced down at it. Daniel gave it another tweak. He pulled it over his head in a graceful motion, tossing it on the floor besides Daniel's own.

The look he gave Daniel was almost challenging. Daniel returned it with a smile. "Would you…would you stay a while?" He took the man's hand and tried to pull him back onto the bed. "At least until I fall asleep?"

His host didn't need much coaxing to resume his seat beside him. Daniel was exhausted, his small adventure having taken more out of him than he had thought. "Leave the lamps lit, please."

His host hummed something, a small little trill that soothed. Daniel turned over on his stomach, a strong hand soon petting up and down his spine. He would have to break the man of that habit. He was not a pet after all.


	4. Chapter 4

These weren't the usual stone hallways that he visited every night. He reached out a hand and trailed his fingers along the strange, smooth walls; they felt as if they were made of glass. The floor was of the same material and was cool but not unpleasant beneath his feet. It was odd that he could walk so easily, but he could not think of why this was so remarkable a feat. There was a glow around the next bend and Daniel felt as if he had been chasing it. Maybe it was the reason he had left his bedchambers. He realized he could not remember what those bedchambers looked like; the thought bothered him.

Keeping his hand along the wall, he followed the turn. What lay beyond made him halt. It was another corridor built with the same materials as the other, but one side of it bore columns and between those columns…naught but open air. He approached these openings cautiously, his hands shaking slightly. The night air was cool on his cheeks and though there was no moon in the sky, he could see the vast expanse of sand that stretched as far as the eye could see. It was glowing slightly, the reason he could see so well he hazarded. He accepted the fact of luminous sand without pause, but shouldn't it have been trees below him? Trees and more trees and beyond them…something lurking. He had no sense of menace from the desert, there was nowhere for anything to hide after all.

The glow flickered at the corner of his vision and he turned his head. That light…it was familiar and seemed out of place here. Was it lantern light? Was he in fact chasing not the glow itself but a person? He gave chase, increasing his pace.

The hall that awaited him at this turning was dark. He gasped and flattened himself against the wall, his heart beating so violently he could almost taste it in the back of his throat. After moments of struggling for breath, he saw that it was not true darkness; there was a faint light coming from further on down the hall, as if from a brightly lit room whose door was ajar. Daniel took a deep breath and plunged forward.

His night vision improved the further he traveled down the dark corridor and he could make out cracks in the floor-this part of the building seemed older than the others- and also see that the walls bore some sort of reliefs. He took a closer look and stepped back quickly, repulsed. They were faces. Faces stretching down the corridor in an unceasing line. He could not tell if they were men or women, children or adults. Their eyes were closed, their lips slightly parted, as if the sculptor had captured their likenesses as they released their final breath. Daniel shuddered. He was almost to the light, almost…

The door opened slammed open, a man stumbling out. He threw himself back against the wall, an arm pressed tightly around his waist. He was taking in the air in hard gasps. His face was lowered and his hair hung around him in long, snarls.

Daniel danced on the balls of his bare feet, hovering between staying still and hoping the gloom of the hall hid him or taking a chance to dash down the halls back from wherever he had wandered from. The man gave a groan and lifted his arm from his side. He looked down at his hand and so did Daniel: it was covered in blood. The man was bleeding. He must have been in some sort of fight, a fight for his very life.

That decided him. He took a step forward, then another. "Can I help you somehow?" he asked, his voice wavering.

The man's head shot up, hair falling aside. It was… his mind fumbled for it…his host. It was the owner of this keep. Daniel's hesitation broke and he rushed forward. "You are hurt! Whatever happened to you?" When he reached the man he realized that he did not know how to aid him, his hands fluttered over the wound, gaping and ugly.

The man cocked his head to the side, looking almost amused. "You shouldn't be here." Daniel started at the voice. He had heard it before, or course, but when saying words he understood… He had never realized quite how deep it was, how sonorous.

"But…" He patted himself down, hoping he was wearing a scarf or ascot to press against the man's side, to try to staunch the flow of blood, but he was only wearing the thinnest of nightgowns-and that was wrong, wasn't it, he had left his plain, white night shifts behind in… in…

"Thank you." A finger under his chin tilted his face up to meet his host's eyes. He was smiling and his teeth weren't as alarming here in this dark, eerie corridor. "But this happened years and years ago."

"I don't understand. You need to be tended to, I need to-"

"You need to wake up."

And he did.

* * *

He opened his eyes to a curtain of long white hair brushing against his face. Daniel gave a strangled cry and flung himself deeper into the mattress.

The man smirked and Daniel, after regaining his composure, swatted him. "You startled me! Where I come from it is not polite to watch someone sleep!"

His host seemed unperturbed with Daniel's distress, choosing to ignore him and roll over on his back, a hand over his eyes. He muttered something at Daniel, an upward lilt at the end.

"Did I sleep well?" Daniel hazarded. He considered the question and was surprised to find that: yes, in fact he had. The first well rested night he had had since…since he could remember. "I slept very well, thank you for asking."

The man peeked out from beneath his arm, the shadow of a smile in his eyes. It then occurred to Daniel that the man was lying in bed with him. His hair was rumbled and there was the crease from a pillow imprinted on his cheek. Daniel bolted upright. "You silly thing, do not tell me you spent the night here!" The man lifted his arm and rested it against his bare chest, his expression wary. "Did you…" Daniel pointed at him, "sleep," he closed his eyes and rested his cheek on his folded hands, "here?" pointing to the bed.

A smile broke out on his face. He looked relieved that only this was the reason for Daniel's exclamation. He closed his eyes and feigned the deep breaths of slumber, then mimed a restless sleep, tossing and turning, stopping to give a playful tweak to a strand of Daniel's hair.

"I slept fitfully? That is odd, I feel so refreshed this morning. I do think I might have dreamt though." He fell silent, eyes distant as he tried to recall if he had or not. "I... think you were in it."

His host was smiling, seeming pleased about something. Maybe he had slept well last night too. Daniel stirred, the blankets slipping further down his too thin frame. He yelped and immediately pulled them back into place. He had forgotten he had crawled into bed nude. A soft chuckle from his host and Daniel flushed.

"It's not funny! In fact, this very situation borders almost on the indecent." He looked away, attempting to will the heat in his cheeks away. He heard the man sit up and a gentle hand turned his face back.

Something soft was murmured and Daniel wondered at it, undecided on what it could possibly mean in this situation. He shook himself free from the man's grasp and leaned back against the headboard, bringing up his knees to clasp his arms around.

"I was wondering last night what to do with myself, you know. I can't stay here forever but…" He held out his hand and watched it tremble. "What if I am never well enough to leave? I cannot stand to be a burden to you anymore than-"

He was silenced by a hand against his lips. When he looked up, the man had an eyebrow raised. He touched his ear and made that slashing motion that usually signified no. "You can't understand what I am going on about. I know. Sometimes it feels good to talk and actually have someone to listen. I was 'born' alone just a few days ago. It was so lonely those first few hours, stumbling around by myself. I was overjoyed to finally come across the corpse of a man that could communicate with me via telepathy. Come to think of it, you are the first person I have talked with that was not a severed head!"

The man clucked his tongue, a look of annoyance crossing his features. He grabbed Daniel's hands and waved them around, looking at him expectantly when he released them. Daniel laughed. "No, my friend. I am not even going to attempt to explain all of that through gestures!"

A tsk and the man sat back, glaring at Daniel.

"I did not expect to find another man in this strange land," Daniel rested his chin in his hand. "I never really thought about what Alexander's world would look like or its inhabitants. I did not have much time to ponder it once I found out he wasn't…human, what with the running from his servants and all." If he had to have guessed, he would have thought that Alexander's people would be like those horrors he had built to serve him or something equally as gruesome. There had been a moment in Alexander's study, when Daniel's mind had given one of those curious little turns and the baron's portrait had…changed.

He shivered and pulled his knees tighter to himself. The man's hand was on the back of his neck, thumb gently rubbing circles against the nape. Daniel smiled at him. He reached back and took that comforting hand, holding it. "I am glad you found me and not something else. I did not expect kindness in whatever world Alexander hailed from. He had so little of it in himself." Daniel paused. "Though truthfully, I think there was little in myself as well. In my old self I should say. I would like to think I am a new man now, but…" He shrugged.

The man sighed and drew back his hand. Daniel shook his head, trying to dispel his gloomy thoughts. "You're right, I am being frightfully rude. Nattering away when you cannot understand a word."

He looked over at his companion. He would be a handsome man if he did not always look so stern. This close Daniel could see that he was starting to get fine lines in the corners of his eyes. He had the appearance of any other human that Daniel's admittedly foggy mind could recall, except for those odd colored eyes and hair and those…

Daniel reached out without thinking and ran a thumb along the man's cheekbones. "They look sharp enough to cut," he murmured. They were the only thing that lent the man a definite air of otherness. The man's eyes widened as Daniel touched him and Daniel realized how presumptive his impromptu touch must seem. He pulled his hand away, apologizing. The man caught his wrist-quick as a thought- and restored the hand to its place against his cheek. He said something in a low voice and Daniel could feel his breath against his palm. Daniel gulped.

"I am sorry. It was too bold a gesture."

The curve of a smile under his hand and he had the sense all was forgiven-if there had been something to forgive in the first place. The man released him after a moment and Daniel let his hand fall on his knees. The man leaned forward, staring intently into his eyes. Daniel started to lean back, but he was caught by the chin, forced to hold still. "What is it?"

The man pointed as his eyes and said something that seemed to be almost…praise? With a hint of awe?

"My eyes?" Daniel pointed at them, raising his eyebrows. The man pointed at his own and made that clucking sound that must be the equivalent of a shrug. "Are mine so extraordinary here?" The smile he had been about to give froze on his lips. He could not recall what color his eyes were. He could see his hair and knew it to be a dull brown, but his face… He reached up with a shaking hand and ran it over his features. Nothing. He could recall nothing of what he looked like. Was he handsome? Average? Hopefully not too homely. What amazing shade were his eyes? Were they only amazing here or had they also been remarkable in his world? Nothing sprang up. Mayhap the previous Daniel was not one to study himself intently in mirrors. There had been no mirrors in his rooms in Brennenberg. No mirrors at all in that damnable castle.

He clawed at his hair, shaking his head. "Damn it, I hate this! I hate being this way!"

Rough hands were grasping his wrists, pulling them away and holding them fast. He was on the verge of tears again. What this kind man must think of him! "You must think I am some sort of lunatic," Daniel said. He gave a small, bitter chuckle. "Well, I guess it is partly true." He closed his eyes, the room was spinning again and he was getting lightheaded.

The man let him go and Daniel jumped when those strong hands grabbed either side of his face, holding him still as the man leaned forward touching their foreheads together. The man said something and took in a deep breath, said something else and released it. He said the first thing again and waited looking expectantly at Daniel. Oh! He obeyed, letting the man guide his breathing until his heart was beating normally and he no longer had that queasy feeling in his stomach. The man moved away, but stayed near enough to touch.

Daniel ran his fingers through his hair. He was mortified. "I am such a mess."

The man clucked his tongue and Daniel burst out laughing; it had sounded almost like agreement.

Daniel plumped a pillow up behind him and sat back against it. He wanted to change the subject, to distract, but had no idea how he could…His stomach gave a growl. That would do nicely. He placed a hand over his belly. "Do you think you could fetch me my breakfast?"

His host tilted his head, it seemed to be in acquiescence, but he made no move to leave Daniel's side. Daniel tried again. He mimed shivering and pulling clothes around himself. "Another nightshift would do a trick."

Again that head cock to the side, but no sign of stirring to bring the things. Daniel sighed. Maybe breakfast was not prepared yet. The man might be able to judge the time by some internal clock and knew it to be a while before food was available.

The man studied him for a long long moment and Daniel began to fidget under his scrutiny. Finally he reached forward and gave Daniel's hair another small pull. "Ouch." Daniel rubbed his scalp. The man smiled and asked a question.

Daniel could only shake his head.

The man placed two fingers against his chest, over his heart and said a melodic word. Then he extended his arm and tapped Daniel's chest. Again that question. He repeated the gestures and words, growing more and more frustrated, until it finally clicked what he must be asking.

"My name! You're asking for my name!" Daniel grinned, pleased that he had figured it out. His host also looked relieved that he had finally caught on. He pointed at the man with one finger. "What was yours again?" The man glanced at his fingers then reached out and took Daniel's hand. He extended another finger so two were pointing at him. Daniel blushed; he must have committed some sort of cultural faux pas. The man didn't seem offended. He only repeated the word-his name. He said it again, slower, breaking down each syllable. Daniel could only replicate the first half on it: "Rosyth?" And still it was a clumsy imitation in his mouth and sounded nothing but a distant cousin to the lovely, ringing way the man had pronounced it.

The shortening of the name earned him a glower, but the man clucked after a while. "Rosyth," he agreed. He jabbed Daniel in the chest. "?"

Daniel opened him mouth…and then let it hang. Should he give the man his name? It should be all right, but what if Alexander had arrived before him and alerted the denizens of this place? His host, Rosyth, seemed like a nice enough chap, but who knew what Alexander could have said about Daniel: A madman from another world, tainted by an eldritch curse, hands stained by the blood of countless innocents. And all of it would be true.

He must have looked distressed for Rosyth hurriedly reached forward and gave him a small shake. He said something long and soothing that Daniel could only blink at.

"I am sorry." Daniel realized that he had been on the brink of hysteria again. "I don't know what name to give you. I have no wish to lie to you, but…"

Rosyth hushed him, a gentle hand on his head. Fingers slipped through his hair and pressed against a sore spot. "?"

"What?" Daniel reached back and felt his head; there was a small knot there. He must have earned it when he had fallen through the floor back in Brennenberg.

Rosyth said something long and complicated that was evidently a question. He tapped his temple and squinted as if struggling to think, then touched the injury on Daniel's head.

"Are you…?" Daniel burst out laughing. "You are! You are asking me if I have amnesia!" He grinned. "Yes, yes I guess you could say I do."


	5. Chapter 5

Rosyth's preternaturally bright gaze held Daniel's, his head at an angle that was almost avian. Daniel fidgeted, dropping the too intense stare to play with the edge of his sheet. He had a sudden fear that his now-named-friend actually meant to name him! That humiliation coupled with the ease in which the man bestowed casual contact upon his person would make him wonder if all he was to his host was an exotic stray brought in from the cold and now meant to divert boredom. Rosyth suddenly turned to the door, alertness in those strange eyes.

Daniel strained to catch a telltale whisper of movement, a scrape of shoe against the floor. "Did you hear something with-" The knock on the door made him shriek, cringe against Rosyth's side.

Rosyth put an arm around him. He pointed at the door and gestured bringing something up to his mouth, mimed pulling on a garment. Food? Was it only a servant bringing up their breakfast?

Daniel laughed, but it came out a pale and shaky thing. He wiped his brow and was disgusted with himself that it came away sweaty.

Rosyth gently untangled himself from Daniel and rose from the bed. He backed away, eyes never leaving Daniel, his brow furrowed. Daniel attempted a wan smile and waved towards the door. "I'm fine now, my friend. I am just easily startled these days."

Even though he still did not look entirely convinced, Rosyth turned and strode to the door. Daniel frowned. There was something odd about Rosyth's figure when seen from behind. Looked on face forward he appeared the very model of robust and strapping health, if not a bit slender, but from behind he had the appearance of being almost…emaciated. What on earth-

Rosyth yanked the door open. Daniel could just make out a figure that seemed to be veiled and swaddled in voluminous layers of black clothing. One of the elusive servants? Rosyth snatched the tray from the sexless creature, raising his voice in a snarled rebuke. Daniel winced and called out, "Please do not reprimand the poor thing on account of my fragile nerves. I am solely to blame."

All Rosyth did was turn his head the slightest degree towards Daniel to show that he had heard him. With one last growl at the shadowy figure, he slammed the door in its face and turned to bring the tray to the bed.

Uneasiness sat like a cold weight in Daniel's stomach. The brief glimpse of the servant had been even more alarming than only guessing at their presence. Why had they been draped head to toe in that fashion? Was it some custom of modesty for the hired help or was there another, more sinister reason? Daniel remembered what manner of creatures had waited upon Alexander all too well.

Rosyth placed the tray on the spindly bedside table-how did the slight piece of furniture remain upright, let alone bear any weight-and retrieved from it a folded square of clothe that Daniel took for a napkin. He shook it out and revealed it to be another light, gauzy garment that was presumably meant to be his nightshirt. This one was dark blue in color with trimming in silver along the hems and sleeves. Daniel could make no sense of the patterns and wondered if they might in fact be writing. Rosyth shook the shirt again and Daniel realized he was waiting for a comment.

"It is very lovely. Thank you." He smiled. Was it his imagination or did his friend seem the slightest bit relieved? Rosyth held out the garment.

How did the servant know to bring it with the breakfast? Rosyth had not left Daniel's side upon their awakening. Maybe he had left Daniel before he had begun to stir? Daniel was reaching for the clothing when his attention was suddenly arrested, musings diverted: just above Rosyth's right hip was an ugly mass of scar tissue. Daniel froze, frowning. It must have been hidden by the blankets when Rosyth was sprawled beside him. There was something about it that tugged at his memory, something almost eerie that raised the fine hairs on the back of his neck. He reached out and brushed it with gentle fingers. He was so very weary of not being able to remember things.

Rosyth batted his fingers aside and said something in a harsh voice. He gestured for Daniel to raise his arms so he might aid him in his dressing. Daniel complied with a grumble. He was tired of needing a nurse maid as well. He let Rosyth dress him though, sure he would not have been able to figure out the strange fastenings by himself. Finished, Rosyth grabbed him under the arms and hauled him to his feet.

Daniel sucked in air through his teeth, grabbing onto the bedpost to keep his balance. He was pleased to see that his legs were holding his weight again. They trembled. Well, for the moment they were at least.

Rosyth slid a ribbon, black with more of that silver detail, from the tray between his fingers. He began to wind it around and around Daniel's waist, tying it into complex and decorative knots. This was no nightshirt, Daniel realized, running a hand down the front, playing with the complicated belt. This was what passed for normal clothing here judging from what Rosyth habitually wore. He did wish that the man had thought to also procure trousers for his invalid…

Rosyth left his side and Daniel made a small sound of distress. He was keeping himself upright for the now, but he felt his limit was fast approaching. His friend moved fast, pulling the armchair around and setting the bone-like chair before it. He then rushed to Daniel and his timing was devilish as it was the precise moment that Daniel's legs gave up the ghost and pitched him forward. He met Rosyth's arms instead of the floor this time.

He was held upright; Rosyth's arm strung through his, and made to hobble on his own to the armchair. He collapsed into, exhilarated. It had been slow progress and he wouldn't have been able to do it without Rosyth attached to him, but he had walked! His hip protested the unaccustomed exercise and he rubbed it. Rosyth asked a question over his shoulder, picking up the table and placing it between the two chairs before taking a seat in his.

"Please do not worry, I am fine." He tried to pick up a cup of some warmish liquid and spilled it over his shaking hand. He sat it back down with a sigh. "It seems I still have a long way to go before I am fully mended though."

Rosyth scolded him and scooted his chair closer, picking up the cup and holding it to Daniel's lips. Even though he still had to be fed, it was nice to sit in a chair and wear proper clothes again. He felt almost…normal. After he had sampled everything on the tray twice over, he sat back with a contented murmur, waving away the spoonful of white gruel-looking substance Rosyth was trying to press upon him. "I am full my friend, thank you." His gaze fell onto the tray, the array of dishes decimated by his appetite. "But there is no portion for you! Will you not also partake of something? You must be famished!" Daniel picked up a plate of a paper thin crispy food and held it out; proud that even though his hands were shaking he wasn't dropping it.

His host stared at it for a long moment. Daniel was beginning to worry he had made another mistake between their cultures, when Rosyth slowly took the plate from him. He hefted it in his hand as if weighing the implications of eating what it bore. His eyes ran over Daniel. He made that clicking sound, and picked up one sheet of the food and taking a fast bite out of it as if fearing his nerve would break.

 _Passing strange, you are_ , Daniel thought, but then Rosyth was gesturing at the tray, an eyebrow raised. "What else may you have? Any of it, all of it! Why, you are my host after all."

But Rosyth did not stir, not even when Daniel pointed to what was left of the gruel in its little pot. He tilted his head to the side, small smile on his lips as if waiting for something from Daniel. Daniel hesitated, then plucked up the bowl and held it out again. That seemed to have been the correct response for Rosyth took it. Each dish had to be offered thus for Rosyth to take it; such a burdensome custom! Rosyth kept giving Daniel little glances throughout the meal, something in them making Daniel blush. He finally turned away, tired of trying to pick up dishes without dropping them and of those strange expressions.

His eyes fell upon the scar again. "How…How did you come by it?" He pointed, making sure to do so with two fingers. "I know it is rude of me, but I swear…I think I dreamt…" He laughed. "I sound mad."

Rosyth touched his side, hiding the scar by outstretching his hand. Daniel was immediately sorry he had drawn attention to it. "I did not mean to make you ashamed. I also have…" He touched his back. "I have scars I do not wish to talk about as well."

Rosyth's face darkened at mention of Daniel's scars. His voice was quiet and something about the way he spoke the words chilled Daniel's blood. He had a feeling that if Rosyth ever ran into whoever had dealt the blows it would end badly…for them.

"It was years and years ago. I wonder if my father is even still alive…" He seemed to remember a face prematurely old, mouth pulled down in a perpetual glower and fleeing from it into the chill London night, thankful that his filial duties had been paid. If it were when the Shadow was still on his heels, perhaps the man had met an unpleasant end. The thought gave him no pleasure. He did not remember enough of his parents to either regret or rejoice in their demise. He rubbed at his scars, wishing those could be as easily erased as his mind had been.

He blinked as Rosyth leaned forward and tugged on his hair. "I have to break you from that habit as well." But his melancholy thoughts had been dispelled and he smiled at his new friend. "What now? We have the whole day before us and I have no idea how to spend it. I do not feel the slightest bit sleepy for a change."

Rosyth scowled, annoyed that Daniel was once again prattling on without attempting to make himself understood.

"I know! Can you take me to see the sun? Is there a window I might see it from? It's been so long since…actually I wonder if you could say I have ever seen the sun." It had been raining when he had awakened on that cold floor and night had fallen by the time it had stopped. Do not let yourself go that route again, Daniel. Cheery thoughts. He made a circle with his hands and held them up over his shoulder. "I want to see," he pointed at his eyes, "the sun." Again that circle in the air as high as his weak arms would let him lift them. "Is there a window?" He drew a square in the air, pretended to move his hands along glass. Rosyth was looking at him as if he were well and truly insane.

Daniel harrumphed. "This room is gloomy!" He gestured around him and closed his eyes; he feigned shivering though the room was always far from cold. "I want the sun!" Again the circle of hands.

Rosyth said something that Daniel was pretty sure was not complementary. "Oh!" An idea had occurred to him. He slid the tray a little to the side and dipped his finger in the remains of a paste. Rosyth tsked as he began to draw on the table. Some hills for the dunes he remembered spying on his ride here, a blocky castle, a circle in the sky. "Here, this!" He jabbed his soiled finger at the circle. "I want to see the sun!"

The look that was leveled at him made him ashamed at his childishness, but he held it, pointing again at the sun.

With a grumble Rosyth rose to his feet and walked over to the blank expanse of wall on the other side of his bed. Had he offended him, was he going over to the corner for a sulk? Now who was the childish-

Rosyth placed his graceful hand against the wall and dragged it to the side. The wall moved. It made no sound as it shifted aside, seemingly swallowed up into thin air and what was exposed… Daniel rose to his feet, hands quickly gripping the back of the chair to keep from falling.

"Oh." He took a shuddering step forward, only remembering just in time that he would fall if he relinquished hold of the chair. Rosyth had moved the wall by some mechanics or magic, Daniel did not care which, and revealed the sky. Rosyth smirked at him over his shoulder, pleased at Daniel's reaction to his small gift.

He pointed at the window and asked a question, a teasing lilt in his voice.

"Of course I want to look out of it! Help me!"He held out his hand, not caring that the gesture was imperious.

Rosyth tsked, but there was a smile on his lips. He walked back to Daniel to fetch him and Daniel did not even protest being carried the way back, he only wished to get to his destination the quicker. There was a ledge underneath the window, just large enough to be suitable for a seat. As soon as Rosyth set him down, he drew up his feet and tucked them underneath him. He pressed his hand against the glass. Was it glass? It seemed too clear, not a single blemish marred it. The sun warmed his hand through the pane and even though he had not suffered chills outside of his delirium he felt as if he had never truly been warm until this moment.

"I do not remember this. I do not remember the sky ever being so vivid a blue or the sun being so glorious. How could I forget? Did the old Daniel just never stop and appreciate the fineness of a cloudless day?" He felt a tear run down his cheek and ignored it. In this moment he did not care if his host thought him unmanly. "More fool he. He should have appreciated these days more. They are so…so scarce. Too much darkness in the world." His fingers clawed against the glass for a moment. It was an effort of will to unfurl them and lay them flat once more.

He could feel Rosyth's stare on him again, its regard becoming a familiar weight. He did not want to turn and see what expression he wore, if it were pitiful…if it were the slightest bit disgusted or mocking…

A gentle thumb wiped the tear on his cheek away. A question was asked in a careful tone and Daniel had the impression that his host was trying not to be too prying. Daniel finally faced him. Rosyth did look like he pitied him, but it was a sad kind of pity- compassionate, that was a better word for it. Daniel lowered his gaze, staring at the lean muscles in his chest, the scar. If he looked too long at something so kind he would be undone, actually break down and weep.

Again a question and when Daniel reluctantly returned to Rosyth's face the man began to gesture: away and then away again. The same gestures Daniel had made to try to convey where he had gained his wounds. "Where I hail from? What of it?"

Rosyth then held his hands over his eyes. Daniel tilted his head to the side. _Was I blind in my world?_ That couldn't be right. Two fingers pointed at the sun, made that slashing sign and again were held over his eyes. "No sun?" Daniel bit his lip, trying to think of the best way to convey it. He pointed at the sun and nodded. "It was there, but…" He touched the knot on the back of his head. "I don't remember it." He shook his head, added the slashing motion for good measure.

That seemed to both puzzle and alarm Rosyth: how can one simply forget the sun of all things? He repeated the two gestures that had come to mean Daniel's home world. He tapped his own head then asked a question. "How did I come by this state? Oh, I really have no wish to go into it. Can I just feign that I do not remember? Will you see through me?" Daniel's conscious won out. He mimed drinking something, slumping back against the windowsill and tapping the heel of his hand against his head. Not strictly true, but not strictly a lie either.

That raised Rosyth's eyebrows. "Oh dear, I am going to have you thinking I am the town drunkard, aren't I? Ah well, at least it will help explain some things."

"Kaernk?" Rosyth asked and Daniel started to hear a word that was understandable from his host.

"The Kaernk was after the…" Again he mimed the drinking and head bump, muttering the word Kaernk and making a shooing gesture. Rosyth folded him arms and glared at the far wall, in all probability trying to figure out where in hell his guest came from and if he had lost him mind as well as his memory. Daniel shrugged and returned to the sun and the endless sand that stretched out before him. "This reminds me of Algeria. I can remember my time there though all else is a haze. I must have really loved it." He paused. "Or it stuck with me because of what it led to." That was not a nice thought and he shook it away.

Rosyth muttered something and pointed at the bed. When Daniel didn't respond he tugged on the sleeve of Daniel's garment. He pulled away shaking his head. "I am not the least bit tired. I wish to stay here. If you have other business, please attend to it." Daniel smiled as he pointed to the door.

Rosyth scowled, but made that clicking sound. He stood up and stretched, muscles moving along his back in a fascinating…his back… Daniel shrank against the window. He was not the least bit starved he was just…wrong. The man's spine was very pronounced, the bones in it jutting out like a ridge, the skin over it so thin that every dip and groove of bone was visible. The man that had saved him was not so much of a man after all.

Rosyth sensed something-probably heard the quickening of his guest's breath, the pace of his painfully beating heart-and turned. Daniel hunched lower in on himself. Rosyth asked a question, started to reach for Daniel… And Daniel flinched, knocked his hand aside. He regretted it the moment it happened, but the words to take it back, to try to make it right, died in his throat. Rosyth straightened, the concern bleeding from his face. Daniel made a small sound: a whimper. He was afraid, of Rosyth, and damn himself, he was failing at hiding it. Rosyth spun on his heel and stormed out of the room. Daniel reached out, trying to unstick his throat enough to call him back, to apologize... His hand fell, the words unspoken. "Daniel, you are still such a coward."


	6. Chapter 6

Daniel watched some distant black dots gambol on the sand dunes. He wondered what they could be and felt a dull pain shoot through him at the thought that Rosyth was not at his side to ask. He tapped the glass, humming a song that he no longer knew the origins of let alone the words. He did so hope that Rosyth would come with his lunch. He also hoped that his tongue would not fail him this time and he would be able to adequately display how wretched he felt and how deplorable his involuntary reaction had been.

When the door opened next though it was not Rosyth's tall figure that stood outlined in the doorway but that of the veiled servant. It entered the room making no sound, not even sparing him a glance. It set the tray it bore on the bed before removing the one from breakfast. It then drew near him, bearing the slight table with his lunch on top of it. Daniel shrank away. It smelt of roses and he was overcome with inexplicable cases of both nostalgia and nausea.

"He-Hello," he finally ventured. The figure, a bit menacing in all those swaths of black fabric and standing almost as tall as Rosyth, did not deign to react. It set the table near him. This close he could observe that its movements were jerky, as if it were a marionette being controlled ineptly by someone unseen. Daniel could not breathe properly until the door shut firmly behind the unnatural thing.

He dozed for a bit, opening his eyes to see the sky begin to bleed into dusk. He shuddered and looked around the room hoping to see Rosyth in his accustomed chair. The room was empty, but someone had been there when he was napping; the tray was gone, replaced with another that bore his dinner. He picked at it, appetite lacking and the incessant trembling in his hands making every move difficult. Sighing, he glanced back out the window, hoping it was his friend that had brought his meal this time and that he would come back for it; also hoping that he could still properly call Rosyth a friend.

His room was getting truly gloomy now and he was at a loss as to what to do. He did not want to watch night come on, afraid it would send him on one of his little spells, but he also did not know how long he should wait for someone to help him to his bed; he did not even know if someone would come this night. If the lord of this keep were in a snit he might see it as justice to have Daniel spend the night in the window he had so coveted. He stroked the cool glass with the back of his hand. Rosyth had been so very kind and Daniel had repaid it with…with prejudice and cowardice.

He eyed the distance between his seat and the bed. Maybe he could make it if he slid off his perch, kept his hand on the wall for balance and followed it to the bed. He had been able to keep upright with aid of the bedpost after all. He was taking a breath to gather the courage to take that 'leap' of faith, when the door opened. This time it was Rosyth's silhouette in the doorway. Daniel made a joyful cry.

"My friend! Please let me apologize for my actions earlier. I acted horrendously." He held out his hands imploringly, but Rosyth only gave them a wary glance as he approached his guest.

He pointed at the tray and asked something. "Yes, I am done with it." Rosyth sniffed at the amount of food still left on it, but clicked his tongue. Daniel stopped him from picking up the tray with a hand on his arm. "Please do not be angry with me anymore. Please give me some way to make it right."

He could feel the muscles underneath his fingers tense. "Please." Rosyth pulled his arm away and took a step back from Daniel. He seemed to hover as if uncertain on how to proceed. Finally he turned his back to Daniel, looking at him over his shoulder. He plucked at his shirt, another billowy affair, this time red, tied up tight around his body by lengths of cord. Sarcasm bled through the words he hurled at Daniel.

Daniel winced before them, bringing up his arms to cradle himself. "I am sorry! How do I make this right?" He hoped his desperation and pleading were clear. Again he held out his hands to his rescuer. Rosyth grabbed his wrist and held it with such force it made Daniel squirm. He brought his captured hand up to his face and then to the back of his- Daniel snatched his wrist out of his grasp, rubbing at it.

"Is that what it will take? Is that the form you want my apology to be? Very well." He gestured for the man to bend down. Hesitantly he reached for the back of Rosyth's neck. His hand was shaking so much, too much. He could do this. After what he had faced this was nothing! But his traitorous hand would only go so far and then obey him no longer. He let it fall back into his lap and hung his head, defeated.

Rosyth sighed and brushed Daniel's hair behind his ear. He asked something in a low voice, but Daniel did not lift his head to see what was mimed with it. He could not face him and clenched his hands in the fabric of his tunic. His hair was pulled just shy of painful and he looked up at last. Rosyth's expression was tired. He held out a hand and jerked his head toward the bed.

"Yes, thank you." Daniel took the offered hand and let himself be half-supported, half-carried. An awkward silence pressed in on them as Rosyth undid the belt around his waist. Daniel slipped into the bed, not giving him the chance to try to take off the entire garment. Even in sleep he wanted to preserve some sense of modesty.

Rosyth rolled his eyes, coiled the belt around his hand and left. The door shut with such finality it made Daniel dizzy.

He was far from tired and stretched his limbs out to their very limits, staring up at the darkening shadows of the ceiling. "I have done something irrevocable, haven't I?" A glance outside the window showed alien constellations scattered across the sky. He rolled over and curled up as tight as he could. The invisible lamps slowly began to dim, signaling it was time for the room's occupant to slumber. Sleep was a long time coming.

* * *

Daniel awoke screaming, hands moving over his body to reassure that he was still whole. His tunic was soaked through with sweat and his hair was plastered to his skull. He wiped his face with his palm, his brow with the back of his hand. "It was only a dream." His voice was small and quavered. "You are beyond all of them now, beyond the Shadow, beyond the Gatherers…" But was he beyond Alexander's reach?

"Of course I am." There was no confidence in the words. He wondered if he could drag himself to the bathing room again. The bright lights it offered would be a welcome comfort. He could sleep there tonight… And if Rosyth discovered him in the morning it would not matter. Any esteem he had had from his host was gone.

He looked down at his hands, fingers twisting and untwisting in a dance of nerves. "You do ruin everything you touch, Daniel," he muttered.

* * *

Even the comfort of the well-lit bathing room did not prove ward enough against his dreams. He woke the second time that night, thrashing and crying out. When he finally fought his eyes open, there was nothing above him but empty air. He sobbed, rolling over on his stomach and wrapping his arms over his head. Was this how it was always going to be? No sleep ever again, an eternity of nightmares? If so, it would have been a kindness for the Shadow to have-

He jumped at the cool touch against his neck. He rolled over, hand cupping the spot as if to protect it. Rosyth tsked. He was leaned against the wall, one leg stretched out before him, the other brought up to his chest, and was looking down at Daniel with a sort of weary fondness.

Daniel flushed, tried to stammer out an explanation, getting increasing frustrated that the words would not come… then he realized that they had never needed words between them. He dragged himself over to Rosyth and leaned against the same wall. He put a hand on Rosyth's knee, needing to prove to himself that the man was solid and real and would never ever hurt him. After a moment Rosyth covered it with his own.

Daniel let his head fall against the other man's shoulder. "I am such a mess." Rosyth laced their fingers together in reply.

* * *

The sunlight moving across his face woke him. What a lovely feeling. The rest of the night had been dreamless and though the first half had been tortured, he still felt well rested. He attempted to stretch but there was something confining him. There was a moment of paralyzing panic before he thought to open his eyes and turn his head. Rosyth's face was beside his own, almost on the same pillow. He was on his stomach, long white hair spread over his face and the pillows. Daniel realized that his cheek was actually on some of those locks and tried to shift away only to be prevented yet again. What… Oh. He laughed soundlessly; Rosyth had an out flung arm over Daniel's back and was holding onto him tight.

"I am not another pillow for your comfort," he teased, poking the other man in the side. His finger slid across bare flesh. Had Rosyth taken off his shirt the night before? Truthfully Daniel could not remember the man climbing into bed with him. The last thing he could recall was resting against his shoulder in the bathing room… He must have nodded off there and been carried back to the bed. Which did not explain why Rosyth had been too lazy to find his own chambers. Well, no use complaining. He had kept the dreams at bay.

He placed a hand on the man's back, planning to roll him over. He skimmed sharp bones and snatched his hand back. Rosyth stirred. Daniel held his breath, the better to hear Rosyth's, but it remained steady and slow; still fast asleep then. Daniel pushed against his side, trying to wiggle free, but Rosyth only pulled him tighter against him. Daniel huffed.

The sheet had rode down a bit in his fruitless struggles and he now had an unobstructed view of what had inspired terror the previous day. Revulsion rose and he fought hard to force it back down. With a quick glance to prove that his friend still slumbered, he reached out with trembling fingers and brushed against one of the visible vertebrae. Rosyth remained unmoving and Daniel's hand had yet to fall off. Emboldened, mad to prove to himself that nothing about this man meant him harm, his next touch was more firm and lingering. There was skin over his spine, but it was so thin as to almost be translucent. The flesh was soft to the touch and though bits stuck out here and there along his backbone, it was not unpleasant when Daniel ran his palm along the ridge of it.

Rosyth arched up into the caress invoking the perfect picture of a cat. Daniel chuckled. A callused hand cupped his cheek and Daniel gasped, yanking his hand away. Rosyth opened one eye and gave him a lazy smile, murmuring something that was still tinted with sleep. "I did not realize that you were- I am so-" but a thumb gently pressed to his lips silenced him.

Rosyth said something, the pitch low and husky and slid his hand under the sheets, down Daniel's back. Rosyth frowned and repeated the gesture. Daniel smiled. "I keep telling you I am no cat, though you do a fair impersonation of one." He gently elbowed Rosyth in the ribs. Was that confusion in the other man's eyes? Disappointment? Rosyth harrumphed and growled something, flinging back the covers. Daniel quickly grabbed his wrist to stay him. "Are you upset at me? Have I done something wrong?"

Rosyth glanced at him and let himself be forced back onto the bed. He lifted Daniel's hair and let it fall through his fingers, stroked between his shoulder blades, letting his fingernails scrape ever so gently along his spine. When Daniel only regarded him with curiosity, he sighed and threw himself back against the pillows.

"I do not understand. Whatever is the matter?" He leaned closer, trying to discern the mood of the other man. Rosyth smiled at him and there was something self deprecating in it. He clucked and ruffled Daniel's hair until his hand was batted away.

He brought his hands up to his mouth and raised an eyebrow.

"Food would be nice, yes."

Rosyth rose and again was stalled by Daniel. "Will you not stay? Breakfast with me."

In his favor, he did look tempted. Finally he seemed to shake himself. He made the slash motion and pointed at the door, saying a word. He frowned when he realized that Daniel would have no idea what it would mean and pointed at himself, the door and then did some complicated gestures. The first image they conjured to his mind was a watchmaker. (Had he ever seen a watchmaker at his craft?) Daniel did not even try to translate the meaning. He gave a smile, making sure the resignation in it was noticeable, and nodded. "You have work that needs tending. I understand." He made a shooing gesture towards the door.

Still Rosyth hesitated, his face worried. "I take no offense my friend. I am merely an interruption to your days, go ahead." His waves became more empathetic. "Just go!"

Rosyth said something, rapid and firm, before turning away. "For God's sake," Daniel muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Does he think I'll drown myself in the bath?" He shook his head. "He is probably only worried that I might be angry at him for neglecting me." He pulled his knees to his chest and hugged them. "Idiot." He smiled though.

* * *

His breakfast was brought up by the servant, still intimidating and still terrifying. Daniel tried to talk to it, but it never gave the slightest indication that it heard him. It quite put him off his food. He moved his meal around in its little bowls and tested how long he could hold things without dropping them. He made quite the mess.

The servant came to collect his tray, again in eerie silence. Daniel watched its jittery movements as it walked out the door, stomach churning. What a disgusting creature. He did wonder if maybe he were being the least bit unkind...

After an hour of rolling around on his bed, he realized that he was bored out of his mind. He would have to ask Rosyth to give him some means in which to divert himself or else he would go mad. Again. He looked over at the window and remembered his plan from last night. Surely it would work in reverse… He scooted to the side of the bed, hands wrapping firmly around the bedpost. Pulling himself upright was agony, but he accomplished it. Now the true test. He put a hand on the wall, surprised that it seemed to be warmed from within just as the floor was. Taking a deep breath he let go of the bed and took a shuffling step forward. His weight held.

Letting out a small cry of triumph, he proceeded towards his goal. His calf muscles were screaming at him, but he could easily ignore them. Halfway to the window he eyed the distance between him and it with a speculating eye. He wondered…

He let his hand fall to his side and stepped away. His legs were trembling now, but he was still standing. One step further… He had to wave his arms around to keep his balance, but he was doing it! Yet another…

A voice rang out in the silence, harsh and barking. Daniel squawked and lost his balance. The sound of a tray hitting the floor was timed perfectly with Daniel's own fall. He was able to put an arm up to avoid his face meeting the seamless stone, but his knees and ribs were not so lucky.

"Ouch." He was stirring, trying to sit up, when Rosyth reached him, hands around his shoulders to help. Daniel laughed, embarrassed, and rubbed his face in an attempt to hide it. "Caught me out, I see."

Rosyth shook him and a deluge of angry words following. "Yes, yes." Daniel waved them away. "I suppose I did know better. I was so bored you see." He finally looked at the man supporting him. Rosyth's hair was disheveled from his mad dash to Daniel's side, his cheeks flushed and his breathing rapid. His brows where lowered and his eyes had an angry glitter to them that made Daniel quail.

He tried to break from Rosyth's grasp, but he was being held so tightly. "I am sorry I gave you a turn. Boredom was no excuse to jeopardize my safety." But had it been that horrendous an act? All Daniel had been risking were bruised knees and an afternoon on the floor awaiting rescue. "Forgive me?" He tucked a strand of white hair behind a slightly pointed ear. Rosyth seemed nonplussed by the action. "Hello, what's this?" Daniel rubbed with his thumb at a black mark across Rosyth's cheek.

Rosyth pulled away, more words tumbling from his lips, fast and alarmed. Daniel was annoyed. "You had something on your face!" He held up his begrimed thumb. "So you can manhandle me as you see fit, but I am not allowed the same-"

Rosyth picked him up and carried him to his chair. Daniel harrumphed and turned away as soon as his host had relinquished his hold on him. "I simply do not understand you."

Rosyth growled something back and Daniel was pretty sure that the feeling was mutual. He could hear the sound of broken glass being shifted through and looked over his shoulder. Rosyth was picking up another tunic, ruined by spilled food. He sighed and tossed it back into the mess.

"I am sorry," Daniel said softly. Rosyth clicked, looked up at the ceiling for a moment and then returned to his chair beside Daniel's. "I said I was-" Rosyth took his hand and gave it a small squeeze. He asked something in a voice that was very quiet and Daniel worried that the other man was trying to keep his temper in check. "Are you asking me why I was trying to walk?" Daniel stared into the middle distance for a moment trying to formulate how to express boredom.

He mimed eating, that was meant to be breakfast, then put his hand under his cheek and shut his eyes. He empathetically made the slashing motion that meant "no" and then gave an exaggerated yawn, fidgeting in his seat.

Rosyth spat out a word. "If that meant boredom, then yes, you have it correct." Rosyth was giving him a peculiar look. "Do you have any books I might look at?" Daniel mimed opening a book, a finger moving along invisible passages. Rosyth laughed and said something taunting. Daniel flushed. "Yes, I know that I cannot read! But if there were pictures…" He drew on the tabletop little spirals and pointed at his eyes and back at the table.

Rosyth held his head to the side, expression amused finally.

"I need something to do!" he wailed.

Rosyth gave a slow blink and looked towards the door. Had the vile servant returned again or was he merely lost in thought? Finally he seemed to come back to himself and stood.

"Do not leave me unoccupied-"

A hand was held out to him. Daniel could not help looking at it as if it were some sort of trap. He glanced up at Rosyth who, with a resigned air, jerked his chin towards the door.

"You want me to accompany you?" He almost refused. This room, though dull, was at least the known. It had sheltered him in his illness and had proven itself a safe haven. Out there could lie…anything. Did he really want his preconceptions of this place and his host changed, maybe for the worse?

Rosyth said something in a gentle tone, almost cajoling. Daniel looked into that face, the first humane face he had truly ever seen. "I do trust you." Without taking his eyes from Rosyth's he placed his hand in his.


	7. Chapter 7

Rosyth supported him, letting him walk down the black corridors for as long as he could before he had to stop and rest. He was leaned against a wall-mysteriously warmed just as in his room-and his hair was petted until his breathing was even once more. "You would hardly believe, looking at me now, that I once outran demons!" Daniel shook his head.

Rosyth made a gesture as if picking up something large and then looked at Daniel. Daniel sighed, but nodded. If he tried to walk to wherever they were going on his own, it would be torturous and his body would pay for it in the hours afterward. Rosyth slowly slid an arm around Daniel as if expecting him to shy away. "It really is fine. Just get on with it." Daniel put his arms around the other man's neck. Rosyth did not even grunt as he lifted him up nor did he seem to struggle as he walked down the corridors. His stride was long and as easy as if he were carrying nothing at all. Daniel envied him his strength and felt more pitiful in the face of it.

There was a turning in the corridor and the sight that greeted them around the bend made Daniel start. One side of the hall opened up to the outside, long columns the only thing that marred the view. A sense of déjà vu struck Daniel and he clutched harder at Rosyth's shoulders, shutting his eyes tight. Rosyth paused and asked a question. "I am fine. Pray, continue." Daniel made a stabbing gesture down the open hall. Finally Rosyth resumed their journey.

More twists and turns and Daniel opened his eyes again, pleased to see that these halls did not conjure up anything within him. The walls and floor here were white and rough in texture, as if sand had been frozen in place and then sculpted. In the stead of the harsh angles of the previous wing there were swoops and curves everywhere he looked and windows, so many windows. Daniel made his hands unclench from Rosyth's shirt. The entire air of this new wing was so bright and welcoming.

A short flight of stairs lead to a heavy door. Daniel started to shift about thinking that he must be set down at this point, but Rosyth held him tighter and barked out a word; the door opened on its own. "How were you able to do that?" Daniel asked, craning his head over Rosyth's shoulder to watch the door swing silently shut behind them.

Instead of an answer he was placed in a chair, one of the spindly ones that Rosyth seemed to favor. Daniel fidgeted, uncomfortable in it, as he looked around the room. It appeared to be some sort of workroom. There were tables with tools scattered across them and shiny bits of metal that looked as if they were meant to be parts of something larger. The room was surrounded by windows set high near the ceiling which bathed the room in light, setting the white walls and floors aglow; Daniel liked it at once.

He picked up something he took to be a tool, a long thin rod with a handle at one end, and rolled it around between his fingers. Rosyth took it from him and perched on the edge of the table. He selected a piece of round metal that looked like one half of a locket. He showed the inside to Daniel; it was filled with tiny gears, stilled. Daniel tapped it with one finger. Rosyth chided him and took his hand, placing the object in his palm. Daniel had no idea what to do with it, but made a show of examining it, even holding it up to the light.

"It is…pretty, but-" Rosyth tapped it with the thin metal rod, a sparking along the instrument's length almost made Daniel drop the damned thing he held. A slight vibration was coming from it and when Rosyth removed the tool, Daniel could see that the cogs where turning.

Daniel looked up at him. "I still do not understand what it is meant to do."

Rosyth took it back and picked up a domed piece of gold-ish metal with engravings over it. He snapped the cover over it and again handed it to Daniel. He prodded it with one finger. It stirred, moved forward on its own and Daniel almost dropped it again. Rosyth quickly grabbed his wrist, holding his hand steady. The tiny creation puttered along in the curve of Daniel's palm a few seconds more, then halted. "Did it break?" It quivered and did a peculiar little leap. The engravings rose, parted, giving it the appearance of wings. With one more decisive little skip the wings moved so fast as to be a blur and it hovered in mid-air.

Daniel gasped. Rosyth gently lowered his hand for him, keeping his long fingers around his wrist. The little curiosity began to flit to and fro, making a circuitous exploration of the room. Daniel could not help laughing in delight at its antics. "I have never seen the like! Are you a toy maker then?" He looked around at the other broken items in the workshop. Most of them had a very ordinary appearance. Maybe he was something like a watchmaker after all, a repairer of clockwork mechanisms and oddities.

The clockwork insect darted in front of his gaze, seeming to hover impatiently. Daniel brought up his hand and the thing lit on the back of it, moving around in circles until it finally stilled. "I think it fell asleep," Daniel said, amused.

Rosyth took it from him and placed it on the table. He stroked Daniel's hair and asked a question. He made the gesture for food and Daniel hurriedly nodded. Rosyth held up his hand, clearly meaning he needed to wait a bit longer. Rosyth didn't leave the room though, instead going over to one of the other tables and seating himself at it, back turned towards Daniel. He began polishing a jagged bit of metal with a white cloth. The cloth soon became soiled with black grime, the same that had been on Rosyth's cheek earlier.

"Oh, hello. I could do that for you if you wish." Rosyth turned, giving Daniel's outstretched hand a skeptical look. Daniel wiggled his fingers. "Come on then, give it here. I can manage polishing or cleaning or whatever it is that you are doing."

With a sigh, Rosyth rose to his feet. He made a slow round of the room, collecting bits and pieces as he went, and then dumping all of it on the table in front of Daniel. He threw the cloth down on top of the lot. "Well, I was complaining of being bored earlier." Daniel picked up the cloth and began to clean what appeared to be a gear. Rosyth hovered over him for a second, probably making sure that he could in fact use a rag without doing himself harm, and then returned to the bench behind.

Turning sideways so he could watch Rosyth out of the corner of his eye as he worked, Daniel began to hum that song that seemed to have stuck with him from his old life. Rosyth muttered something and Daniel stopped. Rosyth spun around, a hand outstretched towards him. Daniel lifted his eyebrows. "You don't wish for me to quit?" Rosyth gestured again, more impatiently. "I do not know if I can do it now that I know you were listening so intently." He closed his eyes trying to capture the melody again. There it was. He started humming again, going back to his work.

He forgot that Rosyth was listening to him until the man began to sing along under his breath. Daniel stopped again. "How do you know…" Rosyth looked at him, his expression turning concerned when he noted Daniel's pallor. He was on his feet in an instant, a hand on Daniel's shoulder. "Never mind, I'm fine." Daniel brushed his hand aside and began to clean something that looked related to a wrench with more enthusiasm than it warranted.

Plucking it out of his hands, Rosyth crouched down beside him. Daniel folded his hands on his lap and cast his eyes down, not wanting for his friend to see how distressed he truly was. Rosyth sang a bar from the song and then asked a question, a finger under Daniel's chin lifting his face up. "I just…I thought it was something from home, that song. I thought it was some remnant from my world, but…" He shook his head. "The only way you could know it…I must have heard Alex- I must have heard it from someone else. And of all the songs that survived in my head, it had to be that one, the one that never belonged to me." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "You know, I really am famished. Shouldn't you go check on our lunch?" He mimed eating and gave a pointed look to the door.

Rosyth only ran his fingers down his back. The knock on the door startled Daniel yet again and he yelped, immediately cursing and pounding the table with a fist. Rosyth's thumb dug into his shoulder briefly, before he said a word which made the door spring open.

It was a different servant, shorter than the one Daniel was used to, but no less eerie. It laid down their food on a nearby bench and gave a small bow before it turned and drifted back through the door.

"I hate them," Daniel snarled. Rosyth tsked, both thumbs pressing against the taunt muscles in Daniel's back. "What are you- Oh." Daniel leaned into him slightly when he began attacking a certain spot, rubbing at it until Daniel relaxed. Rosyth whispered something, his breath against Daniel's ear making him shiver. "Stop that." Daniel covered it and stood, teetering his way to the food. Rosyth followed, looking unbelievably smug.

"Did they forget yours? There only looks to be enough dishes for one." He frowned down at the tray. Even if the plates and utensils were for one, there seemed to be enough food for two piled up on them. Rosyth's expression was not perturbed in the least; he only seated himself and pulled Daniel down beside him. Their legs were touching. Daniel tried to move away, but Rosyth chose that moment to reach around him and pick up a pot and a spoon, one hand going around Daniel's waist to keep him in place.

Rosyth scooped out a healthy glop and offered it to Daniel, who could only shrug and accept it. The meal went much as the breakfast the previous morning had; Rosyth not taking any food unless Daniel offered it to him first. It seemed to delight him for no good reason; he smiled at Daniel throughout the meal, his hand brushing against Daniel's too numerously for it to be coincidence. Having enough, both of food and Rosyth's odd actions, Daniel rose and went back to his work. There was a scrape of metal against glass. So he could help himself to the food without Daniel's aid.

He was through his third gear when a hand ghosted over his hair. "Finished then?" His hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail and then released. The back of his neck was pinched and then soothed by strong fingers pressing against it. Daniel's eyes drifted involuntarily shut. "That does feel nice." The hands moved to his shoulders and Daniel almost purred. All too soon it stopped. With a small pat on his arm, Rosyth retreated back to his own work. "Was that meant to be an apology?" Rosyth began to sing under his breath again, the song that had ruined Daniel's mood earlier, and after a while Daniel started to hum along.

* * *

Daniel was groggy the next morning when Rosyth came to share his breakfast. A thumb brushed against a dark circle under Daniel's eye and he tsked.

"I know, I know." Daniel brushed him away and concentrated on feeding himself as much as he could. He was getting better; he only spilled half of it. Rosyth did not seem to feel the need to stand on ceremony today and tucked in along side Daniel instead of waiting for consent. They still shared dishes and utensils though, and it still seemed to make Rosyth inordinately pleased.

Daniel yawned and stretched. Rosyth shot him a glance and Daniel could feel the worry in it. He was too tired to be flattered and was instead annoyed. Rosyth had graciously offered to share his bed last night but Daniel had refused, insisting he was no child to need such coddling night after night. An hour into his slumber he had regretted that decision.

The other man was dressed all in black today with a wide, red belt that seemed to be decorated with bits of…Daniel reached out and trailed his fingers over it. Bits of bone. He snatched his hand back. Rosyth touched the ornamentation and asked him a question, made as if to take it off. Daniel shook his head, paused, then made the slash motion that signified no. "I am overly sensitive. It is fine." He gestured at Rosyth's whole ensemble. "It becomes you. Very striking, black, with that hair of yours." Rosyth's face remained blank, the compliment not comprehended.

Sighing, Daniel picked up a triangular shaped cup with uneven sides. In it appeared to be this land's equivalent of tea. It went down a tad bitter but had a sweet aftertaste that lingered; Daniel quite liked it. Rosyth rose, hesitated. He waved a hand at the bed and then at the door before holding it out to Daniel. "Of course I'm coming with you!" Daniel said, hurrying to put down his cup.

He could walk as far as the columned corridor today before having to rest and felt immensely proud of himself. Rosyth mimed picking him up, but Daniel shook his head, shuffling over to the open wall. Leaning against the nearest pillar he took in the desert, trying his best to not be annoyed when Rosyth tucked his fingers into the back of his belt. "I'm not going to fling myself off the edge, if that's what you're worried about." He bit his lip. "Though I haven't given you much reason to believe that I will not faint at inopportune moments." He studied the expanse of sand and noticed the gamboling dots again just on the edge of the horizon. "What are those?" He pointed at them. Rosyth supplied him with a name, but like most words in his tongue it did not seem to stick in Daniel's mind. He still smiled and thanked him for it.

After a few minutes, Rosyth tugged on his belt and Daniel let himself be lead away. Daniel halted again at the corridor that branched off from the columned one and peered into the shadows. It was pitch black, none of those magical lamps here. He could just make out some carvings on the wall that might have been faces. "What is down here?" He pointed. Rosyth grabbed his hand and forced it back down. His voice was harsh as he gestured at the hall and made a violent slashing in the air.

"Hm." Was all Daniel could think to say.

The morning and afternoon were spent in Rosyth's workshop. Daniel was graduated from polisher and cleaner to working one of the simpler tools on some of the less elaborate parts. It was some sort of device that melded pieces of metal together. Rosyth showed him what he wanted where and Daniel set to it. It pleased him to be of some small use to the man that had saved his life.

"What is in that room then?" Daniel asked pointing at a wooden door that lay on the far end of the workshop. Rosyth followed Daniel's finger and frowned. He made the slashing motion at it and picked up a rag to swipe over his face. Daniel turned away to hide his pout.

* * *

Judging by the shadows it was approaching noon. Daniel's stomach gave a growl, confirming it. Rosyth chuckled, putting down the block of metal he had been laboring over for the better part of the morning. He rose and stretched before walking over and extending his hand to Daniel.

"Are we not having our lunch here?" Confused, he put his hand in Rosyth's, letting his friend help him rise.

Rosyth tilted his head, a small smile playing across his lips. Daniel shrugged and let himself be led. Their path was still in this newer, brighter wing of the structure and Daniel was relieved. He would never speak ill of his host's hospitality, but his room was so…dreary. That whole wing was almost approaching grim with all that blackness and those horrid carvings down that one stretch of hall.

They rounded a corner and were presented with a set of imposing double doors. Daniel flinched. They weren't going outside, were they? The workroom and the brief glimpses of the castle he caught walking to and from it were fine but actually exiting the building…He tried to stop the thought of so much space around him, he was on the verge of hyperventilating.

Rosyth felt his hand clench around his and laughed, leaning his head against Daniel's to say incomprehensible nothings against his cheek. His hand slid across the small of Daniel's back and he asked a question: Do you trust me?

Daniel started. He had been so sure of the meaning of those alien words, as if someone had translated them by whispering them into his other ear. He shook his head. Perhaps they were just the only words Rosyth could be asking in this situation. He squeezed Rosyth's hand. "Show me."

The doors did open up to the outside and Daniel drew back from so much sunlight, cowering in the shadows. Rosyth let go of Daniel and stepped out, holding his arms outstretched as if embracing the sun, showing Daniel that it was safe. Rosyth pointed to something just beyond Daniel's sight and called a word to him.

Curiosity getting the better of caution, he poked his head around the door. A wall. Rosyth had been pointing to a wall. The whole courtyard must still be within the castle then. He instantly felt stupid. Of course they were still in the bloody castle. There was no way they could get properly outside without descending stairs and stairs and stairs. He remembered how high up the castle had been, how tiny things seemed when viewed from his window. Reassured, Daniel shuffled out, flinging up a hand to protect his eyes from the glare of the sun.

Rosyth said something to him, backing away as if to coax him out further. Daniel bit the bait and followed. It wasn't a courtyard, it was a garden. Riots of color assaulted his eyes, making them ache; he had become so used to monochrome, the only splash of color in his day having been Rosyth's and his own clothing. "It is beautiful," he said, eyes lowered.

His hair was tugged and an arm put around his shoulders, leading him between two rows of stalks that stood taller than Rosyth and sprouted flowers every color of the rainbow along their length. Rosyth shook him and he raised his eyes.

There was a small patch of lawn beside a pool of water, marked off by rocks that would make a comfortable perch. The pool was against one wall, water falling from a pipe high above to give them the soothing sounds of a waterfall. Spread on the grass was a square of shimmering fabric with plates and cups and bowls scattered across it; Rosyth had made them up a picnic.

Daniel closed his eyes, overcome. The past few days had felt so…normal. Going to 'work' with Rosyth and now…this. It almost made him believe that Brennenberg was something he could one day move beyond, a bad dream he may very well get over in the future. He did not realize tears were rolling silently down his cheeks until his friend turned him so his face was pressed into his shirt, the black material turning damp as it absorbed them.

"Thank you. And I'm sorry. I am touched beyond words, but you must think me horrid, carrying on like so." Rosyth's only held him tighter, so tight Daniel gasped and felt the other man was trying to meld their very bones together.

After lunch, Daniel rolled up the legs of his trousers- too tight for his liking, but that seemed to be the style of these lands-and dipped his feet into the water. Something brushed against his toes and he jerked, started to pull them out, but Rosyth put a hand on his knee. "Kaernk," he said with a grin, making a slash over the pool.

Daniel laughed. "You are right. I am finally starting to believe that nothing here would harm me, could harm me." He tried to catch a glimpse of his reflection in the water, but he had stirred up too much mud to see it.


	8. Chapter 8

Rosyth would not let Daniel accompany him to the workroom. After weeks of helping the man with the more menial and tedious labor, Daniel was confused and rather hurt. No amount of pleading or railing would sway the other; Rosyth only regarded him with troubled eyes and lips set in a tight line. Finally Rosyth threw his hands up in the air and stormed out of the room, leaving Daniel to sink onto the bed grumbling.

After an hour of plumping up his pillows more than was necessary to get his nerves back down to an acceptable level, it occurred to Daniel that Rosyth's absence might be a blessing in disguise. He rose to his feet and cautiously approached the door, half fearing to find it locked. If it was he would have a great deal more to say to his host when next they met. But the door opened easily and Daniel stumbled out into the hall, lights automatically turning on as they somehow sensed him.

Daniel took a deep breath. His heart was thudding painfully in his chest, but there was a certain thrill of excitement to finally explore his temporary home without a guide. He had grown steadily haler as the days progressed and now could almost walk to the workroom unaided, only needing Rosyth's arm for the stairs. He still could not shake the slight limp he had and his left hip would twinge horribly after any excursion.

He walked five steps down the corridor, pausing to see if some sort of alarm would be rung or if a servant would materialize from the shadows to steer him back to his room. When only silence met him, he continued further, trailing his fingers along the smooth wall.

The columned corridor was reached without any misadventure. Daniel stopped to savor the breeze, a bit chill after the perpetual warmth of the rooms, but refreshing none the less. He wrapped an arm around a column and stared out at the horizon. There were shapes hovering in the air, little more than dots. He wondered what sort of birds this world had.

A noise made small by distance made him glance down. The sudden wave of vertigo that accompanied that small action made him weak; he clutched the pillar harder. The noise came again and curiosity overcame his self-preservation instincts. He sank to his knees, still holding on to the column for dear life, and peered over the edge. It looked as if the lord of the keep had visitors.

Far, far below-too far for Daniel's liking-were some sort of vehicles pulled up in a semi-circle. Daniel could mark their path to the keep by the marks of wheels that extended into the distance, dark against the pale sands. Wagons of some sort then. But why were they here?

His vision began to grey at the edges. Had they come for him? Had he let some small detail of his old life slip and Rosyth had contacted what passed for the authorities here? Was Alexander down there, looking up as he was looking down, thoughts of revenge making him smile? Daniel's breath was too rapid, if he didn't stop it he would faint and tumble from the edge.

He crawled backwards until his back hit the wall, and then drew up his knees, resting his head against them. He took in a breath, released it slowly, took in another…

A brush of fabric against the floor made him jump. One of the servants-his servant-had silently appeared and was hovering over him. It seemed to regard him, its head tilted ever so slightly. Deeming him uninteresting, it walked away. Then stopped.

Daniel wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand, warily watching the grim creature. The servant walked backwards, stopping in front of him, and then back to its previous position, pausing again.

"Am I meant to follow you?" His instincts screamed at him not to, to run back to his rooms and wait for Rosyth to drag him to Alexander or to remain on the floor, curled up in a tight ball, willing the world to disappear.

He sighed. The former Daniel really had died that far ago day in Brennenberg, this current version was much too brave for his own good. He stood up, needing the wall for support and slowly followed his new guide.

Hearing his footsteps behind it, it walked to where the corridor branched, pausing again to let him catch up. It turned slightly to the black hall with the faces and Daniel vehemently shook his head. "No. I will not go down there. I have no love for the dark."

He was shocked that the creature seemed to have understood, for it kept on straight. They made a slow pace through the labyrinth of corridors, some familiar, some not, until they approached a set of ornate doors.

"The gardens! You've lead me to the gardens!" Daniel was delighted. He had been dreading that the creature would lead him to the dungeons. "I am afraid I do not know how to-"

The servant held up a gloved hand and the doors opened, sunlight flooding the white corridors. It walked through them, not waiting to see if Daniel would follow. Of course he did.

The garden was as exquisite as the last time he had visited. He could now take it in more leisurely without Rosyth tugging on his arm or making him embarrassed by the intent way his face was watched to gauge his reactions. His hip was beginning to complain and he knew from experience that if he did not heed it, the damned thing would give out on him, but surely if he used the stone wall for help he could do a bit of exploring.

He let his fingers slide along the wall, enjoying the rough textures under his fingertips. The garden really was lovely, the flowers huge and so brightly colored. He did not think England had anything like them. He was sure that accursed place in Prussia hadn't had any flowers at all. Just massive and dark forests where all manner of unsavory beings had lurked. Something twinged in his mind, a memory that wanted to contradict that thought… The feel of the wall changed and Daniel glanced at it. There was a face carved into the wall, alien features twisted into something not remotely human, fanged maw gaping in a soundless and agonized cry. Daniel jerked his hand from it and stumbled back, his feet tangling with themselves. The ground hit him hard, fiery agony lancing up his side. He curled in on himself, trying to will the pain to fade, to stop.

A rustle of fabric and a brush of cloth against his cheek forced his eyes open. It was the servant again, peering down at him. Daniel, pain forgotten, scrambled to his hands and knees and backed away from it. The creature watched him for a long moment then turned, walking between two hedges of flowers so blue they were almost blinding.

Daniel was able to gain his feet, barely noticing when his fingers brushed against the grotesque carving that had startled him so. He looked after the figure, biting his lip. Damn his curiosity. Again, he followed it.

After some wandering he finally spied it kneeling before some sort of stone monument. "How lovely!" Daniel remarked, noticing the vines of white flowers that wound over it and spread out around it. Moving closer they proved to be iridescent, a slight purplish tinge to them depending on the angle of the light. They were a welcome rest from the garish colors of the rest of the garden. The creature turned its head towards him and then looked down at its hands as it began to pull at the undergrowth.

Daniel watched it pull handful after handful of the vegetation, a pile growing beside it. It had taken its gloves off, its white hands flashing in the sunlight almost as pale as his own. Daniel was relieved to see that its fingers did not end in talons or that the flesh was neither scaled nor decayed. In actuality its fingers were rather graceful, almost womanly. Daniel wondered if the gender of the creature was female, if it were in fact something akin to Rosyth's people. It would ease his mind to know that the servants were properly employed and were not slaves of some sort or miscreations such as Alexander's.

"Are you weeding?" Daniel asked, venturing to draw closer. "May I help?" He knelt down beside it and started to reach for a patch of greenery. A hand on his wrist stopped him, the fingers unnaturally chilled causing Daniel to flinch. The servant let him go immediately and picked up a clump of weeds, offering it to him. Daniel took it with a shaking hand. "Oh!" He laughed, embarrassed and relieved. "Pick only the ones that are like this. I understand." The servant did not stop him when he reached out again to help.

He did not know how long he toiled beside the silent servant, the sun warm on his back and a sheen of sweat on his brow. As with helping Rosyth in his workroom, this chore satisfied him in some small way. His hands were filthy, encrusted with dirt and stained green, but he could not help the silly grin on his face. The servant stilled, its hand in midair, and the air around it seemed to plummet several degrees in temperature. Daniel sat back on his hunches, hip complaining. He ignored the pain for the fine hairs were beginning to rise on the back of his neck. If it were about to go berserk, if he needed to flee… It spun around and onto its feet so fast Daniel could scarce make sense of it. He fell back, started to crawl backwards and was halted by a pair of legs behind him.

Tilting his head back, the legs proved to be Rosyth's. He had never seen the man angry before, annoyed yes, but never outright furious. His eyes weren't on Daniel but on the servant. He spat a word at it. Was it a question? The servant's only reply was a graceful bow of the head and dip of the knee and then it was leaving, winding its way through the brightly colored bushes.

Rosyth deigned to notice him only after the creature was out of sight. He looked down, brow still thunderous and eyes still flashing. He quirked an eyebrow and asked a question. Suddenly Daniel was embarrassed and just as suddenly-because he did not know why he was ashamed-he became angry. He crawled away from Rosyth and tried to gain his feet, but his hip spasmed and sent him again to the ground. Rosyth tsked and extended a hand. Daniel slapped it away.

"I am fine, thank you very much." His left side was in agony and he did not try to stand again.

Rosyth closed his eyes and Daniel wondered if he were counting to himself, remembering that it was often advised to do so or risk losing one's temper. Maybe school marms across the worlds offered that same piece of advice. By the time Rosyth opened his eyes the deep lines of anger in his face were smoothed. He knelt beside Daniel, grabbing him by the shoulders and shook him. His voice was no longer the tight growl it had been, but was still scolding.

This close Daniel could see that his hair was disheveled and his cheeks still bore the hint of a flush, a glow of sweat across them. "You were running around searching for me, weren't you?" He brushed a strand of Rosyth's hair from his cheek. "You must have been worried when you did not find me in my chambers." Daniel closed his eyes, ashamed that he had entertained for a moment that Rosyth would in any way betray him.

He started when Rosyth gathered him into his arms and held him tightly to his breast.

* * *

It was becoming a routine with them. Rosyth would try to lay down beside him when Daniel was retiring for the night and Daniel would have to shoo him away with increasingly more force. He was growing weary of their nightly arguments.

Rosyth pointed to the rings under his eyes, his voice loud and sharp. Daniel shook his head. "No, absolutely not. No matter how many tantrums you throw, I will not-"

Rosyth interrupted him with a particularly vehement word and spun on his heel, the door slamming behind him. Daniel sighed and rubbed his temple.

* * *

He was running through stone corridors, the unearthly cry of the Shadow behind him. The corridor turned and he ran into the blank wall at its end, his breath driven from him. "No! Nonono…" There was meant to be a door here! His hands searched the stones, hoping that his eyes were deceiving him, but no matter how his fingers scratched at it, no seam in the wall was revealed.

There was a red glow growing behind him and he whirled, pressing his back against the wall. "Dear God, please, no!" He didn't want to die like this, in fear and in pain. There was a roar of triumph and thick strands of flesh began to crawl along the walls. Daniel flung up a hand-

And the world shattered around him. Slowly he lowered his arm, blinking in confusion as his dream fell away in glass-like shards. "What on Earth…"

"Ah, there you are!" The familiar voice was cheerful and so incongruous with what had previously transpired.

"Who are you?" Daniel peered into the blackness around him. "Where are you?"

"Forgive me, your mind is so damaged it is difficult to-" The void around him was replaced with a blue haze and out of it strode Rosyth.

"What in hell-"

Rosyth grabbed his hand. "I thought you could use a change of venue, the way you were tossing and turning. I don't like the way you whimper in your dreams." He scowled briefly. "Here, let's venture into my mind for a bit." He tugged at Daniel and Daniel reluctantly followed.

"I am very confused. What is going on here?"

Rosyth spoke without taking heed to his question, "Your mind is a complete shambles. What did you do to shred it so? I would have stepped in sooner, but it's so hard to connect to you, impossible when you are awake."

Daniel dug his heels in. "I will not take a single step further until you tell me-" The mists cleared. "Oh."

It was beautiful. No, beyond beautiful. It was exquisite. A night sky with a scattering of stars across it above and below…Below was something from Elysium itself. Crystals were all around them, sprouting out from the white ground and towering over them. They seemed to glow softly, each its own unique color. Daniel held out his hand and watched the lights play across it. "Where are we?"

"A favorite dream of mine. My father took us off world for a sort of pleasure excursion when I was a boy. He brought us here. It made quite the impression on me."

The words really made no sense to Daniel, but he was too enthralled with the beauty that surrounded him to mind. He ventured closer to one of the stones, touching it.

Rosyth's voice was hesitant, "Do you like it?"

"I love it."

"Oh. Good." Daniel peered into the smooth surface of one of the crystals, the pleased grin on Rosyth's face reflected perfectly in it. He looked younger here in this place, Daniel thought studying his reflection, trying to place what was different about him. He frowned suddenly. He moved to another stone, then another.

"Is something the matter?"

"Me! Where am I? I cannot find myself!"

Rosyth tsked and a firm hand on his shoulder turned him. "You're right here." He cupped Daniel's cheek, his palm calloused and warm. "Hardly lost at all."

"No, that is not what I meant. My reflection, I do not have one." He pointed at the stones behind them, Rosyth shown in them to only be conversing with thin air. Rosyth peered over his shoulder and frowned.

"How curious."

"I am sick of this. Sick of it!" He pulled at his hair and Rosyth had to forcibly remove his hands.

"It is a dream, things hardly matter-"

"You do not understand! I do not…I…" He touched his face, clawed down the side of it.

"You have no recollection of what you look like," Rosyth said with dawning horror.

Daniel cast his eyes down and nodded.

"What could…What a terrible thing must have befallen you." Rosyth touched his hair.

Daniel shook away the feather-light caress. "What you must think of me… What do you think of me? Such a ragged stranger, a sorry excuse for a man…"

"I think nothing of the sort." Rosyth smoothed down the wrinkles in Daniel's robe, ran his hands back up to gently cradle his neck. "I think you intriguing, infuriating at times." He was leaning forward, eyes closing and head tilting slightly. "And entirely too-" Their lips brushed.

Daniel awoke with a start. He had dreamt, hadn't he? But it was already fading from him. It had been so strange… Fingers combed through his hair and he sighed, more annoyed than angry.

"Good morning, Rosyth." The hand paused, surprise seemed to flit across Rosyth's face then was quickly gone, replaced with a cautiousness.

"I should be cross with you, but the night of rest was sorely needed."

Rosyth asked him a question.

"I think I may have had a dream of you again, but…" He shrugged.

Rosyth asked another question, more persistent than the first.

"If you are asking if I am angry with you, no." Rosyth growled and buried his face into the pillow. Confused, Daniel rose to attend to his morning ablutions. Did he really expect Daniel to suddenly understand him?

* * *

Again he was forbidden to follow Rosyth to his work. He let Daniel follow him as far as the turning for the gardens then bade him go entertain himself. Daniel huffed, but complied. He did not have to stay in the gardens all day after all and what Rosyth did not find out…

As soon as Rosyth had disappeared down the halls, Daniel was back in the corridors. He retraced their journey from his room, only venturing a short ways down offshoots of the halls he knew-it wouldn't do to get lost and have Rosyth overwrought again.

The doors he encountered appeared to be locked. Some of them did not even have handles. Daniel tried to remember the words Rosyth had said to open the doors of the workshop, but nothing came to mind. "Open, please," he tried banging on a door with curious etchings. It did not budge. He sighed and slumped against it. Some explorer he was turning out to be.

A scratch of fingernails on stone and his head whipped up, already coming up with apologies and accompanying gestures for Rosyth…But instead of his white haired friend there was the tall specter of his servant.

"Hello again."

The creature gave that odd, jerky half-bow, half-curtsey that it had given Rosyth the day before. Well at least it was acknowledging him now.

"I was just…er…trying to find the gardens." Why did he even bother lying? It was not as if the thing could understand-

It turned its back to him, walked a few paces, and then looked back over its shoulder. Could it understand him? Daniel was uneasy, but followed it nonetheless. The corridors twisted and turned and finally spat them back out at the familiar junction that he still dreaded.

The creature walked down the hall of faces and stopped, raising a hand as if to beckon him onwards. Daniel shook his head, hair flying around his face. "No. I am sorry, but no. The dark-"

It stooped and lifted something up. It held the object out to Daniel. Hesitantly he took it. It appeared to be some sort of goldfish bowl. There was a chain on either side of the opening at the top to carry it. Daniel let it dangle in front of him, utterly flummoxed. "And what, pray tell, is this?"

The thing took off one of its gloves, revealing again those slim fingers so much like Rosyth's. It snapped its fingers over the opening and a spark of blue flame ignited inside it. Daniel dropped it.

The servant's speed was preternatural as it deftly caught the globe by its chains. It brought it up in front of its face, seeming to stare into the blue curl of flame that was steady growing stronger. Again it was offered to Daniel.

Daniel shook his head. The servant's shoulders seemed to slump, but it accepted that it would have to bear the strange lantern. It turned and held it aloft, striding down the horrid corridor. Daniel wished he could remember if he had been a God fearing man, for he badly wished to mutter a prayer but had no idea if it would be heard. Instead he kept his eyes on the spark of blue and followed as close behind to the servant as he could without stepping on the train of its shroud.

It was so familiar, this corridor. The faces that lined its sides, the eerie expressions, as if they could be either asleep or dead. Had Rosyth brought him this way when he had rescued Daniel from the desert? Was that why he half-remembered it? There was a dream-like quality to the memory. Daniel always had had such strange dreams. His thoughts drifted momentarily to crystals as tall as a man and Rosyth's warmth indecently close.

The row of faces was broken by a door, heavy and wooden. The servant put a hand on it. It half-turned as if making sure that Daniel was still there and then pushed the door open. The hinges protested loudly, making Daniel look around as if expecting a guardian of some sort to appear. He did not want to go into any room that this hall led to, but the servant was taking his light with it.

When the servant offered him the lantern this time he took it. "Thank you." Again that bow and curtsey. The thing drifted around the room, running its hands along the shadowy bulk of what must have been furniture. It placed its palm on the far wall and slid it to the side. A familiar sound of grinding and the wall moved aside to reveal a window.

It was beautiful. Not only the clear glass such as in his room, but wrought iron framed it, spread out across it to throw intricate shadows across the floor. Daniel took a step closer as the servant walked along the wall, trailing its fingers and opening more windows. The window looked like something one would find in a church: cold impassive beings with twisted contemptuous expressions at the very top, the middle bearing what surely must be the mortals with their plain clothes and beseeching hands outstretched. The creatures at the bottom gave him pause. Instead of the ghastly demons he had been expecting were beings of breathtaking beauty and perfect form.

"Was this a chapel?" He turned, but the servant had vanished. He was alone.

Now that he could see properly, thanks to the windows, he judged it to be some sort of audience room or parlor than a chapel. There were those chairs of bone that Rosyth liked and comfy looking padded things as well. A mammoth fireplace took up one wall with another chair shaped like the spindly, bony ones but taller and black in color. It looked ever so sinister, the perfect throne for a dark and terrible lord. Daniel walked over to it and placed a hand against one of its armrests: cold as the grave. He shuddered and snatched his hand back, noting it was now covered with dust. He brushed his hand on his tunic and continued to look around.

Despite the elaborate designs on the windows, there was no other decoration in the room. No, there was one more, he amended, approaching the fireplace-huge enough that he could have walked into it without stooping. Above it, lost in the shadows, was some sort of frowned up at it. It appeared to be a portrait of a family, but the faces were lost in the gloom despite the beams of sunlight pouring in.

The door slammed open and more light suddenly sprang into being. Rosyth's voice echoed in the room, anger in every nuance of it. Daniel winced, but Rosyth barely glanced at him, looking around. He asked Daniel a question, sighing when Daniel had no idea what he wanted. He held his hand up to a height barely shorter than him. The servant?

"I do not know where it went. It brought me here and then…" Daniel looked around the room uneasily. "Is it really so dreadful a thing to be in here? I meant no harm."

With a last glare into the shadows, Rosyth strode towards him. Grabbing his upper arm, he began to lead him out.

Daniel dug his heels in. "But why is this room off limits? The only thing it suffers from is disuse and…" He looked around trying to find some clue as to why Rosyth was so frantic to usher him out. His eyes lit upon the portrait, now perfectly illuminated.

No. Oh no no no. Not after he had finally found some measure of peace. His knelt on the floor, strength fleeing him.

There were seven figures painted upon the canvas, all bore the white hair his host sported. Four children, a babe in the arms of a woman with mournful eyes and a man with his hand upon her shoulder.

Daniel's eyes could not leave the man in the painting. His memory was imperfect and all he really had to link him to his past were shadowy flashes of remembrance and words on scattered journal pages, but the way his bowels were twisting and how rapid his heart was beating he had no doubt that his body remembered what his mind could not: he was looking upon the smug face of Alexander.


	9. Chapter 9

Rosyth's arms were around him, but Daniel scarce noticed, his eyes never leaving the face of the man that had ruined him. Rosyth brushed his hair behind his ear and ran a finger along his cheek. Daniel shrugged him off, sprawling on the floor now that he did not have Rosyth's hold to keep him upright. "Did you know? Did you know this whole time? Were you only playing me for a fool?"

He shuddered and closed his eyes so he would not have to see the hurt in Rosyth's face. It was not as if the man could understand his spoken queries, let alone answer them. Daniel pointed at the portrait, his hand not in the least bit steady, though his voice, when he spoke, surprisingly was. "Where is he? Is he here, is he coming back?"

Rosyth followed the line of Daniel's arm and raised an eyebrow. He said a word that rose at the end. Alexander's name in this land mayhap. Daniel again thrust his finger, forgetting to point with two, at Alexander then made a circle around himself, Rosyth's gesture for the castle and these lands. "Is he here?" Rosyth smiled, it was a grim thing. He spoke but a word, but the negating gesture was empathetic.

"But he will come here, he will be back!" Daniel struggled with the gestures, hard to do with shudders wracking one's frame. Away and away, the sign for Daniel's world, and then the walking gesture with two fingers and finally, again, the circle that encompassed the castle. "I need to- I need to be away." Daniel rose to his feet and promptly swooned, the sudden rush of blood too much for his already addled nerves. Rosyth caught him before he could hit the floor; the man was almost superhumanly fast at times. He was led to a chair, the black throne one, and bade to sit with his head resting against his knees. Breathing was a struggle.

As he suffered through the attack, Rosyth rubbed his back, fingers paying special attention to the grooves of his spine. Daniel finally sat up, shivering as the cold of the throne's back cut through the thin fabric of his tunic. "I am sorry. Thank you for your…for everything, but I must leave." He pressed a hand to his forehead, hiding his eyes.

He was startled by the violence in which Rosyth took his hand in his own and forced it down. Rosyth was smiling, but it did not quite reach his eyes and his speech was aggressive, implacable. Had he somehow guessed the gist of Daniel's words? But how?

Rosyth released his hand with a brief kiss to the back and turned the throne around, causing Daniel to gasp and grab onto the armrests or face being thrown onto the floor. He now had a perfect view of the painting. He turned away. Rosyth held his chin and forced it back around. He backed away from Daniel, holding his gaze. He kept repeating a word: watch, watch?

He pointed with two fingers at the oldest boy, perhaps ten years old, then at himself. Daniel sighed. It made sense, in a beastly way. As his father had once given succor to the old Daniel when he stumbled in from the dark, so too would his son with the new. Rosyth repeated the gestures and barked a question. "Yes, I understand. You are that monster's son." Rosyth flinched, perhaps from the tone of his voice. Daniel was instantly ashamed. The sins of the father did not necessarily need be forced upon the child, nor were his tendencies of cruelty automatically passed down.

Daniel started to apologize, but Rosyth waved it away. He pointed at Alexander, Daniel was surprised to see him do so with only one finger. He gave another tight smile that was more a baring of teeth and proclaimed a word that rang with finality. He then made a gesture as if pushing something away. Alexander's banishment?

"I know you may think him gone, but I tell you he means to return. He was able to return." Daniel started to rise from his chair, but Rosyth lunged forward to press down on his shoulders to make him resume his seat.

Rosyth combed his hand through his hair, mumbling to himself. He pointed to Alexander, then the away gesture again. "And I tell you he will not stay away for long!"

Rosyth crouched so they were eye to eye, his words held the strength of conviction to them, but Daniel could not be swayed. Rosyth sighed and rested his forehead on Daniel's chest, thinking. When he pulled away, there was a light of determination in his eyes. Again he pointed at the man in the portrait. He then held his hand as if loosely grasping something and thrust it against his chest over his heart.

"I do not understand."

Rosyth growled and repeated the gestures with more and more violence. Finally he pushed away from Daniel's chair and began to pace before him.

Daniel looked around at the growing shadows of the room. He really needed to leave, but to travel at night… though surely another day's hesitation would be another day in which Alexander was brought closer to him.

Rosyth clapped his hands to bring Daniel out of reverie. He crouched on the floor and began to draw in the dust, a crooked creation that resembled the basic outline of a man. When Daniel said the word, Rosyth looked up with a smile. He pointed at Alexander and then the drawn figure and struck it with his fist. His last action was to smooth away the dust, the floor underneath shinning and cleansed.

"You think him dead." Rosyth's smile broadened. "You may very well think that, gone for so long as he has been, but I am telling you-"

Rosyth groaned and grabbed Daniel's hand, held it against his heart and began a speech that, even with not being understood, belied the passion and conviction of the speaker. Daniel tried not to be swayed by it. "But if he does return…It would not go well for me to be here."

Rosyth's reply to that was another fevered kiss to the back of Daniel's hand. Daniel tried to pull away, but Rosyth held fast. He met Daniel's eyes, the look in them almost frantic. "If he does come back though…" Daniel pointed at the man his quaking body told him was Alexander and made the walking gesture, a circle around and then held his hand out in a questioning motion. "What will you do with me?"

Rosyth sighed, clearly giving up the fight on the point that Alexander was dead or gone for good. He pointed at his father, made the walking gesture and then rather enthusiastically mimed running someone through with a blade.

"You would kill your own father…for me?"

Rosyth began to grin and then thought better of it when he noted Daniel's pallor.

"That…does solve some concerns of mine." Daniel did not know how to feel. Relief was there, but also a sense of…pity mayhap? Had Alexander been such an evil man even to his own people that he deserved death by his own son's hand? But Daniel had come to know Rosyth over these last few weeks fairly well despite the barrier of language and he could not see him hurting anyone without good cause. It was hard to reconcile the man who had nursed him back to health with one capable of patricide.

Rosyth lifted him up, but instead of carrying him out of the room, he sat down, Daniel in his lap. He asked a question almost in Daniel's ear, causing him to shiver. "I am fine. I have just been dreading that man so much, I…I no longer know what to do with myself now that you assure me I will be safe." Rosyth picked up Daniel's hand and played with his fingers, intertwined them with his own. He pulled down the back of Daniel's tunic ever so slightly and traced one of the scars that was bared. He pointed at his father.

"No, I had those well before I met that man." Rosyth hummed and brushed his lips against it. Daniel fidgeted, uncomfortable with the intimacies that were being inflicted upon him. Rosyth would not let him go though and instead cradled the side that had been the fault of the Kaernk. Daniel hesitated and then nodded. He could chalk that up to being Alexander's fault in a roundabout way. Rosyth began to rub at his hip with his thumb, his breath warm on the back of Daniel's neck. To distract himself from his growing discomfort, Daniel turned his attention to the other people in the portrait, Rosyth's family.

Rosyth was the only one besides his father who was staring out of the painting, almost as if in defiance. The girl at his side, only a year or so younger than him, had her face slightly turned towards her brother. Her hair was long, almost to her waist. She wore the same outfit as Rosyth save in color and Daniel was a bit scandalized to see a female in breeches. He reminded himself that this world was not his own and the standards were surely different. She had a wariness in her eyes, her mouth set into a hard line. Daniel wondered how they got on now that they were adults, she obviously had not been happy to be posed by her sibling. The mother was a graceful woman, her limbs long and willowy. Again Daniel's sensibilities were pricked by her clothing. It was in the same style as her children's but had cuts stylishly throughout revealing tantalizing glimpses of her flesh. Daniel hurriedly turned his attention to the last figures, the babe in the mother's arms scarce worth notice. They might be twins, their features so similar in cast. Too young to tell the gender of either, they had clearly been told to play with some strange mechanical toy on the floor to add to the painting a sense of hominess. They seemed more confused by it or maybe puzzled by the concept of playing, as one poked at the metallic object with two fingers and the other intently watched on.

"Where are your siblings, your mother? Do they live here and are away on some trip?" He was slightly worried that they lived in some other wing of the castle and Daniel was a secret that Rosyth was keeping closely hoarded. He did not relish the feeling of being the mad wife in the attic… But Rosyth made the gesture he had first made in concern to Alexander. Away…or dead?

"Will they be…" Rosyth huffed and repeated the gesture. "Dead?" Rosyth clucked his tongue. "All of them? How dreadful." Again that click. Daniel wondered if Alexander had somehow been to blame and that had been what had spurred Rosyth's promise to kill the man if he were sighted. Or perhaps something as mundane as a plague had stolen them away. He refrained from asking further, unsure if the topic was painful and Rosyth was merely acting cavalier to hide how tender the point still was.

Changing the topic, Rosyth flung his hand out at the painting and tapped Daniel on the chest. "?"

"Do I have family?" His mind whirled as it did whenever he had to try to conjure up his past. He was able to pull something out of its depths this time though. He slid out of Rosyth's lap unto the floor. Rostyh let go of his hand with visible reluctance. Daniel drew two circles in the dust. He had had parents at one point, even if he could not remember their faces, and drew a line from them, making another circle at its end. He pointed at the circle and then himself.

Rosyth asked a question and held up a finger. So he had been an only child? No, that wasn't right. With a hesitant finger he drew a line perpendicular from the one with him at the end and added another circle. "I had a sister. Younger than me. I think." He pointed at the girl beside Rosyth. "Her name escapes me at the moment. I…I feel I loved her a great deal though." He stared at his little family written in the dust. Reluctantly he erased his sister. "I think she died. Or was somehow lost to me. Sometimes I get frustrated that I cannot remember for sure, but other times I feel it might be a blessing to not have to bear that pain again." He erased his mother as well and stared down at the circle that was his father. Absently, he rubbed his scarred shoulder. "I should not judge you for your intentions to harm your sire. I know beyond most how monstrous fathers can be." He glanced down at his hand clenched in his lap. "And I really have no right to judge anyone."

* * *

Dinner was a stilted thing; Daniel could barely meet Rosyth's eyes throughout it. Whenever he looked upon his friend he would see Alexander. After beholding the portrait the similarities the two shared in their features were almost uncanny, that straight nose, the thin lips, the aristocratic cast of their faces. It made his stomach lurch and he could do no more than pick at his food.

Rosyth finally threw down his eating utensil, a strange thing not unlike a fork but with more tines curved in odd ways. He crossed his arms and leaned back, glowering.

Daniel hid his face behind his hands. "I know I am being unfair, I do, but…" He dropped them into his lap where they clutched and wrung at one another. "He did such awful things. He made me…do such awful things." On impulse he reached out and took hold of Rosyth's arm. "Just be patient with me. I know that you are kind, I have seen it in the way you have treated me, a complete stranger, but please…I have had a shock and I need time…"

Rosyth placed his hand over Daniel's, holding it against his arm before turning away to stare into space, the slight frown line between his brows showing him to be deep in thought. His face suddenly brightened and he gave Daniel a smile that was almost mischievous. He leapt to his feet and dragged Daniel up beside him. Just as suddenly as the smile had appeared it was gone as he took in the state of Daniel, the dust stained clothing, the mussed hair. He started to bat at the grime before giving it up as a lost cause.

Not giving Daniel time to protest he deftly undid his belt and the fastenings of the garment, pulling it over his head and throwing it onto the floor. He then turned on his heel and dashed from the room.

"What on Earth has gotten into you?" Daniel asked, more bemused than annoyed.

Rosyth came back in a matter of minutes, the flush in his cheeks a tell that he had almost certainly ran the entire trip to wherever he had gone and back. He took Daniel's wrists and drew his arms up over his head, forcing a garment he had had draped over his arm over him. Once this new bit of clothing was settled around his frame, Rosyth busied himself with swooping around Daniel, fastening this and that.

Daniel looked down at himself, the new tunic was black but there was a slight shimmer to the material when he moved. There was also a wealth of embroidery around the broad sleeves and waist that depicted fantastical beasts. Daniel traced an impossible bird with a finger and wondered if maybe they were not so fanciful in this world but actual creatures. He rather hoped not as the bird seemed to have a fearsome display of teeth.

The garment had no need for a belt as Rosyth pulled on something in the back and it tightened around his waist enough to make him gasp. "This isn't a bloody corset, is it?" But Rosyth only spun him around and studied his handiwork. He tsked and rubbed at a spot on Daniel's face and combed his fingers through the flyaway brown hair. Apparently he was acceptable at last, for Rosyth stepped back with a pleased expression.

"This is ever so elegant." Daniel ran a hand down the material. "Are you introducing me to someone?" he teased, but immediately regretted it. Rosyth had no family left to introduce him to save a father he intended to murder.

Rosyth grabbed him by the elbow and dragged him from the room. "Where are we going?" Daniel stumbled to keep up, Rosyth's pace almost skipping with badly concealed excitement.

"Are we going to the gardens?" Daniel asked noticing that the corridors were familiar and that the turnings they were taking were ones he already knew by heart. Instead of approaching the double doors that led outside, Rosyth turned Daniel down a hall along side. Judging by the subtle curve of it, it encompassed the entirety of the gardens.

Daniel's curiosity was well and truly piqued at this point and when they finally stopped before an unremarkable door he felt a small thrill of excitement. Rosyth placed his palm on the wood and it sprang open at his touch.

Daniel tried not to let his disappointment show as he was ushered into an ordinary room. It was a fair bit smaller than the guestroom, but not as oppressive. The furniture was of proper wood, the bedclothes a burgundy color and the walls that white sandy substance that pervaded in this section of the castle. Daniel put his hand on the wall, for once it did not give off the feeling of heat from within.

"It is a very nice room, I will give you that, but why were you in such a hurry to reach it?" Daniel spread out his tunic. "And why did you dress me up thus?"

Rosyth tsked and wandered around the room finally halting in front of the far wall. He placed his hand upon it and made the familiar slide, but instead of a window being revealed, Daniel was shocked to see the whole wall move aside to display the garden beyond.

"Well, that is impressive," he said sitting on the edge of the bed. The view of the garden was beautiful, the last vestiges of sun giving the vegetation a burnished look, the small pond a few feet away the appearance of fire. Was this the surprise then? A nice view and a comfortable perch from which to enjoy it? But it seemed Rosyth was not yet done for he grabbed Daniel and pulled him back to his feet. "I really do wish you would stop manhandling-" He was spun around and his voice died away.

He thought it was a painting at first until he tilted his head and the "painting" followed suit. He flinched back, the only thing keeping him bolting from the room was Rosyth's hold around his waist.

His friend's voice was chiding and no fair bit amused. He gently took Daniel's hand and stretched it out. Glass met his fingertips. Daniel laughed, but it was a strangled sound. He pressed the palm of his hand against the mirror. "I see. I am sorry for being a fool." Again that brisk scolding and Rosyth released him and took a step back, leaving Daniel to himself.

The man before him was so pale, the marks of prolonged illness still evident upon his face. Daniel reached up to a hollowed cheek and winced when the reflection did the same. His hair was longer than he was want to keep it and ever so slightly disheveled from his journey to the room. He began to try to give it some order but stopped, hands awkwardly suspended in the air. The clothes, fine though they were, hung off his too thin frame, the tight bindings in the back calling even more attention to his slenderness. The hollows under his eyes looked as if they were carved into his face and his eyes…his eyes were…"Green. Such a light shade of green." He touched the mirror again. "I had forgotten. It was such an odd color in my neighborhood, most had brown or blue. It was oft remarked upon." Rosyth looked over his shoulder, held his waist with a light touch.

Daniel turned one way and then the other. "I am not as ugly as I feared, but still a far cry from as handsome as I had hoped," he said a touch rueful.

The mirror showed that Rosyth rolled his eyes. It provoked laughter from Daniel, temporarily making him forget the revelations that had occurred earlier in the day.

Rosyth turned him so they were facing, but Daniel still craned his head around, afraid he would forget himself if he took his eyes from his refection even for a second. Strong fingers under his chin finally convinced him to meet the eyes of his host.

The elegant features were grave as he made a circle motion that took in the room and asked a question. Daniel began to shake his head to show he did not understand, but Rosyth repeated the gesture and pointed to the bed. He pointed away, back in the direction of where his rooms lay, made a motion as if picking something up, carrying it and dropping it on the floor here.

"Are you asking me if I prefer these rooms to my own?" Daniel looked around him, considering. It was certainly more entertaining for the eye and the gardens were close by… He smiled and hoped it was answer enough.

Rosyth's shoulders dropped slightly as if relieved. He hesitated then pointed in the direction of the ebony rooms and made the walking gesture, a circle to show the castle, closing his eyes for sleep, and then the walking again, only this time away.

"Those rooms are the guest rooms?" Daniel hazarded, wondering who on Earth had decided to give such unpleasant accommodations to visitors. Those who did not want said visitors to stay too long, obviously.

Rosyth smiled and pointed around these rooms, the walking gesture, the sleeping, but no walking away, instead there was a hand thrust palm down towards the floor.

"These are for the castle residents. Am I no longer your guest then?" Rosyth clasped Daniel's hands in his bringing them up to press against his heart. Daniel flushed and stepped back, pulling free. He clutched at the mirror to keep his balance. "I do not know what to say. I am…almost overcome."

Rosyth again thrust his palm towards the ground and said a word laced with such pleading, Daniel had to rest his forehead against the glass to hide from it.

He shouldn't. He couldn't. For all of Rosyth's assurances that his father was dead or gone or soon would be if he dared to show his face, there was still the threat of Alexander looming over them. And if he had learned anything since awakening to this life, it was that misfortune dogged his every step. But where could he go? He had been here for what seemed like a month at least and he could still not grasp the language more than to mangle his host's name. He had no idea of the lay of the land or if the small amount of knowledge on tinkering he had gleaned at Rosyth's side would be enough to eke money to live off of. And Rosyth… He looked over his shoulder at the man who had been his rescuer and now was his friend. The thought of leaving Rosyth pierced him through with a pain so sharp he almost cried out from it.

"You would not mind? I am still very feeble and cannot offer much in compensation for my room and board. I…do not think I ever will be well and I will always be plagued with my…little terrors. You will grow bored of me, weary of me."

That Rosyth seemed to firmly negate his arguments and even had answered with that slashing motion, gave Daniel pause. Could he have gathered what Daniel was saying even though he had offered no attempt to translate? Maybe his expression had given away that he had his doubts.

Rosyth put his palm again to the ground. "?"

And Daniel answered by extending his hand to his friend. Rosyth pretended not to see how it trembled and clasped it, pulling Daniel into a rough embrace. Daniel laughed and fought to be free. Rosyth truly have been lonely here with no one for company save those silent and sinister servants.

In his struggles he had worked himself around until he was facing the mirror again. Smiling and laughter seemed to have transformed his face. He could now see the shadows of what the old Daniel must have been in his more carefree years. Was it also what this Daniel could become, given more time to recover and forget?

Rosyth asked him a question and motioned to the mirror, his expression both grave and apprehensive. Daniel shook his head. "I am glad that you showed me the mirror. You have no idea how lost I have been, not having my own features in my mind. I just wish," his fingers brushed over his side, "I was not so unwhole."

Rosyth's fingers ghosted over Daniel's and Daniel stepped away and turned. "You gave me a home and you have given me back my very self. I am ever so grateful…" His voice trailed off as Rosyth took a step forward and with a firm hand on the back of Daniel's head leaned in to press kiss upon his lips.

It was over before Daniel could think to react in some way. Rosyth seemed to think that nothing significant had transpired, for he immediately bustled Daniel off to the bed, maybe thinking him over wearied by the day's events. Pillows were fluffed up behind him and he was laid back against them. He did wonder why there was no dust in this room; had it been occupied recently or had Rosyth prepared it in the hopes that one day Daniel would accept that he was a resident of this keep and no longer its guest? The latter made him feel odd inside, quivery.

Daniel started when Rosyth climbed into bed beside him, wrapping an arm around his thin shoulders and pressing firmly against him. They watched the last dregs of the sunlight fade and twilight slowly claim the garden. Daniel was too preoccupied to feel his normal twinge of fear as night overcame the land, his fingers kept drifting up to brush against his lips, his gaze far beyond the flowers and blooming stars before him.


	10. Chapter 10

Awakening to find Rosyth's arm outstretched possessively over him was not unpleasant, the heat the other man seemed to generate in his sleep was another thing altogether though. This section of the castle seemed to not have the mysterious heating system veined throughout its walls and floors and Rosyth had overcompensated by building up the fire in the small fireplace by the bed to an alarming degree. Daniel did not appreciate sweating while he slept. Delicately he extracted himself from his friend's tangle of limbs and felt he could breathe again as the cool air from the garden met his skin. Daniel had been relieved to see a moon out that night and had loved the way the silvery light illuminated the room, so had bade Rosyth to keep the wall while they slept. Rosyth had protested, but when Daniel persisted, he had capitulated to his demands.

Perched on the edge of the bed he turned to look at his friend, hand going up automatically to touch his lips. In repose Rosyth looked the part of the otherworldly prince, hair ethereally silvered in the moonlight, his features casting strange shadows upon his face. Daniel's stomach gave a peculiar jitter and he feared that he might be sick. He quickly rose from the bed and walked towards the mirror.

If the moonlight lent a certain unnatural beauty to Rosyth, it leached away any semblance of humanity Daniel possessed. He looked a ghost, the shadows of his illness even more pronounced, the small amount of color left to his cheeks banished. What sleep had done to his hair hadn't helped matters either, the disheveled state of it giving him the appearance of just crawling forth from a grave. He flicked the glass in annoyance.

His side gave a sharp pain. He rubbed at it then paused, looked over his shoulder to make sure that Rosyth was still lost to his slumber. Thankful that the ties of his garment had been loosened before he had retired, he pulled the tunic over his head. He could not quail the feeling that he was doing something naughty. "It is not as if I am going so far as to remove my trousers," he scolded himself, puzzled at his sudden bashfulness.

He took more care of his clothing than was Rosyth's want, draping it carefully over a nearby chair, before turning again to the looking glass.

He had seen the marks of Brennenberg before, looking down at himself when he bathed or changed clothes, but seen on his body in its entirety they gave a ghastly testament. Sighing he traced over the scar on his side, another thinner one on his collarbone. He turned and looked over his shoulder at the scars of the belt that marred his back. No wonder Rosyth hovered over him so. He looked as if he had survived a war. He thought of the secret rooms in the depths of Brennenberg and the marks the torture devices would had left upon their victims. The breeze was no longer pleasant and he wrapped his arms around himself, trying to hide the evidence of his… of Daniel's shame. "I am never to forget you, am I?" he mumbled, staring into his own eyes and seeing a man that had died to give him life. "I am always to remember your handiwork, have to pay for the sins you foisted upon me." At that moment he did not know whom he hated more, Alexander or his former self.

The creaking of the mattress startled him and his eyes darted to the reflection of the bed. Rosyth was propped up on one elbow, concern warring with sleepiness on his face.

"I was hot." He fanned himself, pretended to wipe sweat from his brow. Rosyth yawned and kicked off one of the blankets, beckoning to Daniel to come back to his side. Daniel shook his head and looked to the garden. "I think I shall take a walk. My nerves are a bit…unsettled." He drifted into the garden, enjoying the feel of the grass beneath his bare feet. Skirting the small pond before his new room, he ventured deeper into the greenery, the stalks taller than he, swallowing him up. It was darker here and his heart stumbled within his breast, but one more turn and he was on familiar ground; he recognized these flowering bushes, that crack in the wall. He weaved his way to the other small pool the garden offered, deciding that the curious rock structures there would make an ideal perch.

He dipped his feet into the chill waters, shivering as he leaned back to look at the stars. He frowned. Surely the moon, his moon, was not thus. The shape was slightly different, the size a hair more larger and the color…

A piece of cloth hit him in the face, obscuring the heavenly body he had been musing upon. He snatched it off and glared at Rosyth, shirtless, barefoot and wearing an expression that matched his disfavor.

"I am allowed to take a walk by myself, surely?"

Rosyth answered back, his tone mocking. He pointed at the robe he had thrown over Daniel and bid him pull it on. "I am not the least bit cold! If I were I would have had the sense to put my tunic back on before venturing out." He kicked his foot, sending a spray of water at the far bank.

The only way to describe the sound Rosyth made was a squawk as he noticed Daniel had his feet in the water and his hands fluttered out as if to pluck them out. Daniel laughed. "I am no child. This will not kill me! I have lived through much worse." He kicked his foot again and smiled at his friend. Rosyth grumbled but took a seat beside him. Taking the robe from him, he spread it over Daniel's shoulders, then kept it in place by putting his arm around him.

Again that strange flip in his innards and he shifted away ever so slightly. His eyes fell upon the pond and the moon reflected within it. He bit his lip. "How did you know? About my needing a mirror? It is most unusual that I have never gestured my desire to look upon myself, but you seemed to have guessed that I could not recall my own visage." He stirred the water with his toes, the moon a whirlpool of light. "I recall…That is…I think I had a dream of you…" he trailed off, of a sudden embarrassed to admit to such childish fancies. He thought of Alexander and Agrippa. But were they so childish?

He raised his face to Rosyth's, the man's proximity almost robbing him of breath. He finally managed to make his voice rise above a croak. "Rosyth. Can you..." _Read my thoughts?_ But Rosyth's expression remained impassive, his eyes moving over Daniel's features as if he were trying to commit them to memory. "Can you understand me then?"

But Rosyth only blinked then tilted his head to the side. The slight smile on his lips made Daniel uneasy and he looked away. "Of course you cannot." He turned back to Rosyth. "I am sorry for suspecting-" Rosyth kissed him again and again Daniel was at a loss.

He relaxed into it before he could stop himself and Rosyth's arm slid down to his waist. Just as he was about to turn his head slightly to better the angle, a branch snapped. Daniel pushed Rosyth away, thoughts of the servants catching them making him panic.

Rosyth tried to coax him back, but Daniel was once more in possession of himself. "We cannot, I cannot, please-" He attempted to dart away, back to the safe haven of his room, but Rosyth was faster, catching him by the wrist. Daniel fought, but the other man hung on with a tenacious determination. He yanked Daniel to him and Daniel had to place a hand upon his chest to keep from smashing into him. "Is this the price of your hospitality? This debasement?" Rosyth let go as if burned. He spat several words and strode a few paces away to glower at the blameless shrubbery.

Daniel massaged his wrist. He frowned as he thought back on his words and Rosyth's immediate reaction. "Rosyth, _can_ you understand my words? Rosyth, please." He went to him, a gentle hand on his shoulder the only thing needed to turn him. An angry wave of words met Daniel and he stumbled back. "I am sorry, but…" Daniel kept his hand upon Rosyth's arm and that seemed to calm the other man for he quieted, though the silent glaring was not much of an improvement. "I am confused. I have just started to discover who I am and moreover have had to spend my first few hours, not only fighting for my very life, but also getting acquainted with a world not my own. I am…frightened."

Rosyth's expression gentled and he reached for Daniel. Daniel hurried to step back out of his reach. "Please, I said I was confused!"

The outstretched hand curled into a fist. He let it drop to his side. After a few angry words, he gave a small bow and walked past Daniel towards the main door. Daniel stopped him. "Rosyth, surely you can understand-" Rosyth seized Daniel around the waist and pulled him tight against his body. Daniel gasped and tried to lean away, but Rosyth kissed his forehead and released him.

* * *

What followed in the days ahead could not be described any other way save for a shaky courting. Daniel looked down at the bracelet Rosyth had laid upon the table with a mixture of amusement and horror. "I am not a woman, such trinkets really do not… Thank you for it though." He picked up the bejeweled monstrosity. Secretly he wondered if any woman would have been pleased with it. Rosyth asked him a question and Daniel handed it back to him. "I would rather you not empty your treasury on my account. Even if I liked jewelry, what purpose would it serve me here? You are the only one to see me and I think you are pleased enough with me how I am." He tried his best to translate his words. He wondered if it would please Rosyth to see him bedecked with gems, but the thought made him feels so odd, he hurriedly pushed it aside.

Rosyth played with the bracelet. He did not look as dejected as Daniel had feared; in fact he looked the tiniest bit relieved.

The next day Daniel took his breakfast and lunch alone. It was rather lonely and as he took his daily exploration through the gardens he worried that he might have offended Rosyth the previous day after all. He picked some of the flowers at the monument and took them back to his room. Out of all the wonders the garden offered, these still remained his favorite. There was something almost nostalgic about them, he mused as he arranged them in the center of the table. He lifted one up to the afternoon light. His former self had not been interested in botany as much as archeology, but he thought they might be some sort of orchid. Maybe that was the attraction of them; they were one of the few things that had a counterpart in his old world.

Just as he was expecting to have to sup alone, there was a knock at his door. Why did Rosyth just not enter? It had never occurred to him before that Daniel might have privacy in which to invade. Daniel threw open the door, glad to have company at last- and fell back in horror.

He was proud that he did not scream because by the beaming look on Rosyth's face he was sure that would have hurt his feelings.

"That is a remarkable…beast." Or the head of a beast at least. The thing was grotesque and looked a cross between a dragon and a wild boar. Rosyth offered it to him, ichor still dripping from where it had been severed from its body. Daniel took a step back. "What am I meant to do with it?"

Rosyth drooped slightly. "Oh! It is very impressive! I'm sure you were extremely valorous in slaying it!" The conversation faltered. "Do you hunt then?" Daniel mimed drawing back a bow, an imaginary arrow notched in it. That seemed to puzzle Rosyth and Daniel cursed himself for a dolt. This was no primitive society despite the wilderness that surrounded them! This was a people who could walk across worlds and have heated castles. They probably had the equivalent of guns. He remembered Rosyth's gesture for slaying his father, the thrust of a blade. "You did not kill it with a sword, did you?" He clutched at Rosyth's arm, overcome with fear though Rosyth was before him unharmed. "You should not get so close to these…to this horrid thing. You could have been hurt and then what would I do?"

His worry eased something in Rosyth and he looked pleased with himself again. Holding the monstrosity by the mane with one hand, he cupped Daniel's chin with the other. His voice was reassuring, but adrenaline still coursed through Daniel's blood, making him feel faint. "Do not go hunting again. I cannot bear the thought of…" His voice trailed off, the thought of being alone in this world with only the servant as company made him clench the oddly shaped lapel of Rosyth's jacket.

Fingers tangled in his hair and he actually turned his face up to accept the kiss. "You do not need to prove yourself to me, just be with me. Your friendship is all I want, all I need." That earned him another kiss, one that threatened to steal his very breath. He pulled away, flustered. "Now come get ready for dinner and," he flung a hand at the head, "do not bring that to the table." He made the slash for 'no' and Rosyth burst into laughter.

At dinner Rosyth touched the orchids on the table. "?"

"I like them. I think them pretty." He did not know how to mime 'like', so hoped that having them decorating his room would be enough for Rosyth to understand him. Rosyth looked thoughtful. Daniel was not as surprised when he awoke the next morning to find Rosyth gone and one of the iridescent flowers on the pillow next to him.

* * *

As mysteriously as his banishment from the workshop had begun, it was just as mysteriously revoked. Daniel loved his walks in the garden, but he had to admit they were wearing thin…As was rebuking Rosyth's more public advances. The man seemed genuinely confused why Daniel was vehement that they not share a bed anymore and insisted that they keep their kisses and more affectionate displays behind the closed door of his room. Really, what would Rosyth do if they were spied upon? Did he really think he had that much control of his servants' tongues? Daniel thought of their silence and remembered legends of Romans cutting out the tongues of their housing staff to ensure their secrets were kept. He was immediately uneasy.

He had missed working with Rosyth, watching the intense concentration he wore as he labored, the lightening fast smile as something fell into its proper place, and the miracles those long fingers could make out of lifeless metal. The image of Rosyth, sweat sticking an unruly strand of hair to his brow and a streak of grease along a cheek, made him flush and fidget in his seat.

Rosyth asked him a question and Daniel smiled and waved it away. He went back to his breakfast.

The attentions he was receiving from Rosyth were far from…unwanted, but he had to admit to himself that there were so many factors that could be manipulating him. It could be some sort of psychological dependency forged during his convalescence or an instinctual latching on to the first creature that seemed to offer safety. He did not want to hurt Rosyth, especially if what he were feeling was temporary. Daniel could not even remember if he…if the other Daniel had been…had had this predilection for the same gender. Come to think of it, he could not remember Daniel ever having had any sort of relationship, not even an ill thought out tryst in his school days.

Rosyth waved a hand in front of his face, interrupting his musing. "Yes?"

He tapped Daniel's temple. "?"

"What am I thinking?" Daniel laughed, embarrassed. "That you are the first person I can say to have met."

Rosyth drew back, surprised. He touched the back of his head-what he always did when he referenced Daniel's amnesia-and asked a question.

"Yes, after the amnesia. I am not counting your father as a person, I am sure you would agree with me on that point." Rosyth tilted his head. Daniel didn't add that animated corpses also did not count, no matter how vocal and knowledgeable they were. Rosyth took his hand, and Daniel permitted it. "You can see why I am so hesitant with you. I do not wish to…" He frowned. "Rosyth, how did you know… I did not…" He glanced down at his hands, one on his lap, the other still in Rosyth's.

"Rosyth, surely you _can_ understand me?" But his friend was adept at changing the subject, even without speech, pulling Daniel up from his chair and ushering him to their work.

The day had been uneventful, save for the morning. Lunch had been without any attempt at communication from either of them, though Rosyth did make sure he was pressed as close to Daniel as he could be while still able to eat. Afterwards they went back to their respective benches and their own tasks.

Daniel stared down at the pile of metal scraps he was meant to assemble. Running a finger along the smooth surface, he sniffed as it came away begrimed. He turned and watched Rosyth bent over his project, the red shirt he was wearing clinging to his back and showing off his lean muscles. Daniel felt his face flush.

He cleared his throat and Rosyth paused. "May I have a cloth? These parts you gave me are dirty." Without looking 'round, Rosyth threw one of the rags he kept nearby over his shoulder. He realized his mistake almost at the same time as Daniel gave forth a crow of triumph. "I knew it! I knew you could understand me!"

Rosyth faced him, apprehension in his eyes, his fingers twirling the tool he had been using around and around. "But why lie to me? Could you always understand my words?" Daniel thought of all the embarrassing acts of mime he had been forced to since tumbling into the desert and was suddenly suffused with anger, but Rosyth negated it with a slash.

"Then why can you suddenly understand me?"

Rosyth touched his lips and then Daniel's. "Our kisses caused it?" But Rosyth was gesturing no. He closed his eyes to show sleep and touched their lips again. "You kissed me in my sleep?" That was slightly violating. Again, no, this time with a sigh of frustration. Rosyth pointed at Daniel and mimed sleep and did the same for himself and then the gesture for kiss. "In our…" his voice trailed off as he vaguely recalled a crystalline world and Rosyth's breath upon his face. He blushed. "That still does not explain the how! You are like your father then, you can enter my thoughts." A violent denial and then after some thought a more hesitant one.

"You do not know how it happened, but you cannot read my mind."

A smile.

"That is bloody unfair! You can understand me but I am still at a loss as to what you are saying to me!"

Rosyth tossed his tool onto the table and clicked his tongue. "Don't bloody cluck at me! I…I hate this…" He hit the wall and regretted it as pain shot up his wrist. He cradled his hand, dignity well and truly ruffled.

When he finally regained some control of himself, he found Rosyth leaning on the edge of the table watching him, long fingers tapping on the edge. He touched his lips and held them out to Daniel, made the slash, vague gestures with his hands and a finger tapped his temple. A click and then a rather tentative smile finished the whole display.

"We do not need to talk to be understood," Daniel said, but he was still disconsolate. "Easy enough for you to 'say', you can listen to my ramblings and know who I am while-"

Rosyth began to mime again, but Daniel cut him off, "It is well enough for simple things! I want food," he brought his hand up to his mouth, "I want sleep," closing his eyes, "but that is not conversing. I will never know your…your hear- your mind this way."

That set off a flurry of motion and perturbation. Rosyth touched his heart and made as if offering it to Daniel, he touched his lips and did the same.

"It is not the same as talking with you." He wrapped his arms around himself and slouched against the wall. Rosyth watched him for a moment and then turned back to his work, his motions jerky and with more force than was needed.

Daniel watched the back of his head, his long hair pulled back into a messy knot, his unusual spine peeking through the strands when he moved. "What is this?" he asked picking up a plate from their lunch on impulse. Rosyth turned and regarded him as if he were an idiot. "In your language, what is this?" Daniel persisted.

Rosyth said the word slowly. Daniel sighed, it was like the tide, filling his mind one moment and then receding before he could grasp it. "This then?" He held up a cup. Rosyth supplied him with its name. Daniel threw it down, wincing as it smashed against the floor. "I remember being very skillful with languages in my past. I received a scholarship for it. French, Arabic, Latin…even the more esoteric ones that no living tongue still spoke: Aramaic, Ancient Greek, the language of the Pharaohs." He clenched his hands into fists. "I wonder if something is wrong with me, if the same thing that robbed me of my memory took away the one thing that made me…singular."

Rosyth's denial, both in word and gesture, was so forceful it made Daniel step back. Rosyth rose and stalked towards him, hands flying as he tried to convey to Daniel his worth. "From your more recent actions, I would gather the only thing you find of value is my body." It was peevish, but Daniel was in the mood to wound. Rosyth looked as if he meant to strike him, but instead rested his hand over Daniel's heart, made as if he were extracting something and placing it in his own breast. He touched his lips and made the offering gesture for speech, the slash and he repeated the motion of connecting their hearts. Daniel wilted. "I know. I do. I am just…weary. I just want…I do not even know what I want anymore. I probably forgot it when 'I' drank that damned..."

Eyebrows rose at that confession and Daniel cursed himself for forgetting that his friend could now comprehend his words. "I have an idea!" Daniel picked up the plate. If he could not learn Rosyth's language, then perhaps he could teach him his own. "This is a plate. Plate. Can you-" But distaste had flitted across Rosyth's face before the other man could properly tuck it away. "You do not care for my language?" The plate joined the cup in pieces on the floor. "Very well then." Daniel's hand was on the door to leave, but a fist slammed against it, keeping it shut.

"Please." Daniel rested his forehead against the wood. "I need to be by myself for a while." Rosyth's hands were on his shoulders trying to force him back to his bench. Daniel whirled around. "I said I wished to be alone!" He was shoved back into the door, shock more than the impact robbing him of breath. Rosyth leaned over him, strands of his hair brushing against Daniel's cheeks. He talked in a low voice and Daniel was at loss as to whether it was meant to calm or be a threat. He kissed Daniel's forehead and threw his hands up, walking away.

Daniel opened the door with shaking hands and fled.

* * *

The garden did not contain the solace he wanted. He wandered from flower to bush to tree, not finding any place he wished to rest. His leg was on fire and he would need to sit soon. He ignored it. His wanderings led him to the monument; the heavily draped figure kneeling in front of it stopped him in his tracks. It appeared to be in prayer. He was going to backtrack along the path to leave the fell creature to its meditations, but it seemed to sense him for it turned.

"Hullo."

A grave lowering of its head. The creature seemed to peer at him then made a gesture over its face and held out its arm in a graceful motion.

"I must look a fright." Daniel ran a hand over his hair. The servant tilted its head. Taking it for a question as to the cause of his state, Daniel supplied, "I am afraid I had a bit of a tiff with your lord." He felt foolish. Rosyth may now understand him, but he was certain he had not shared any dream kisses with this eerie thing! He started to attempt to express himself through his hands, but the servant turned away. Daniel wondered if he had bored it. Instead, it was inching away, obviously making room for Daniel by its side.

He was more afraid of offending then he was of it, so he took the offered seat. "I feel so lost. I wish I could say it was this place, but even when I was still…home, I felt as if I did not belong. Maybe I should have died in Brennenberg. I feel as if I were a revenant that did not have the decency to find its rest."

The servant darted forwards and, startled, Daniel cried out. The pale, thin hand had plucked one of the flowers blooming around the monument. It offered it to him and Daniel took it. "Thank you." He was hard pressed not to break down into tears. It seemed he had one more friend in this strange world.


	11. Chapter 11

The caravan had come again. Daniel had guessed that something was arriving to change their routine by how restless Rosyth had grown with each passing day and his frequent glances out of every window they passed. The day the carts were finally spotted on the horizon, Rosyth dressed more imposing than was his want. His clothing had an austere cut, the colors stark, and his long hair was tied tightly behind. Daniel ran a critical eye over him and frowned. He much preferred Rosyth's usual wear. Sensing his displeasure, Rosyth straightened his collar, picked up a cup of tea and then put it down again forgetting to sip from it.

Daniel picked up his own cup and took a drink, staring out at the flowers. Another day of walking and taking in the sun, possibly another banishment from the workshop in the aftermath of their visitors. He sighed. How he wished the other doors in this castle would open for him! He longed for more places to explore and more ways in which to divert himself.

Rosyth jumped as Daniel turned his head and caught the other man staring at him. The worry in his eyes made Daniel's stomach clench, but he had no idea how to ease it; sometimes he did not even know if he wanted to. The sense of betrayal still stung him, and he delighted in the fact that Rosyth suffered at the cooling of his attitude, even as a part of him ached to forgive. He missed Rosyth's arms around him, the kisses that had been sprinkled through his day. That admission, though it was only to himself, disconcerted him.

Standing, Rosyth stretched. Daniel rose as well, straightening up their luncheon things. Rosyth grabbed his hands and held them; he asked a question and a stab of annoyance pierced through Daniel. "You know I cannot understand you. Why do you even bother talking to me?"

Rosyth bared his teeth and repeated his words more slowly, pulling Daniel towards the door. Daniel dug his feet in, panicked. "No, certainly not! I am not going outside, I have no wish to meet-"

He had no trouble guessing what Rosyth's next question was: What are you afraid to meet? Daniel did not know. More of Rosyth's kind? Something new, something monstrous?

"It is too soon, it is too…big outside."

Tsking, Rosyth tugged on a strand of Daniel's hair. Placing a hand on the back of his neck, he held him still so he could rest their foreheads together. Daniel was shaking. Rosyth ran a hand down his back. He had no trouble understanding the next utterance either: Do you not trust me?

Daniel tucked his fingers into one of the sashes wrapped around Rosyth's waist and held on so tight his knuckles were turning white. "It is safe? You will be there?"

Rosyth kissed the tip of his nose. Daniel closed his eyes and let Rosyth wrap an arm around his shoulders and lead him out.

They rode an ascension room down and the memories it conjured made Daniel feel nauseous. He did hope that he did not faint and embarrass himself in front of Rosyth and whomever they were about to meet. "I do not think I can do this." He clung to the back of the elevator as the doors opened on the ground floor. Rosyth stepped out and turned, offering a hand. When Daniel did not take it, he made a gesture that clearly meant that Daniel could stay or come; it was all the same to him. He softened it with a smile though and, put that way, Daniel really could not refuse.

The entrance chamber was smaller than he had expected. There was some massive machinery against the far wall and a humming barely above the range of hearing reverberated throughout the room. The walls looked to be made of a copper-like metal and strange things were carved into them. Daniel's fear was forgotten as the reliefs distracted him and he wandered closer. He could not tell if they were meant to be figures or creatures at this distance. Rosyth's hand around his wrist pulled him back.

"But the carvings…" Rosyth ruffled his hair and then put it back into order, fingers lingering. He jerked his head at the small corridor that ended at a set of double doors. "Oh, that is right. I had forgotten."

Rosyth laughed at that and led onward. Daniel paused again in the corridor, noting the strange coils and pipes that lined it. It reminded him of something from Brennenberg, but could not exactly place it. Again he was tugged forwards.

Daniel clutched at Rosyth's hand, pressing it so hard he worried that the other man's bones might creak. Rosyth only returned the pressure and raised a hand to wordlessly command the doors to open.

The sunlight was harsher out here than in the garden. It reflected off the sand and dazzled Daniel's eyes. As he raised a hand to shield himself, a voice hailed them and Rosyth responded. Daniel darted a glance at him, surprised at his tone. He had never sounded so…haughty before. A thumb rubbed his wrist. Realizing they were still holding hands and in front of strangers no less, Daniel pulled away. It was Rosyth's turn to shoot him a glance, a frown marring his features. The man let his passions get in the way of his sense of decency entirely too much.

Daniel turned his attention to the riders of the caravan…and immediately took hold of Rosyth once more. The creature was very…blue and was peering at him with unabashed curiosity in its bulbous eyes. Daniel would have shrieked, but his voice seemed to have become caught in his throat. Rosyth attempted to put an arm around him, but Daniel ducked it, moving around behind the taller man the better to hide. He pressed his forehead against Rosyth's back, the sharp bones in his spine pricking his flesh. Focusing on his breathing, he tried his damnedest to not pass out.

The frog-like monstrosity asked a question and Rosyth answered it, something rebuking in his tone. The creature responded, amused. Daniel shuddered. Rosyth reached behind him and Daniel tensed, fearing the other man meant to drag him forward, but he only rested his fingers lightly on Daniel's hip. Daniel sighed. Grabbing onto Rosyth's shirt, he stepped around him, once more at his friend's side.

"I am being rude. Forgive me." Rosyth waved it away. "Please…Please tell…it? That I apologize-" Rosyth looked appalled, slashed the air violently. Daniel raised his eyebrows at his denial to convey his message. He turned his attention back to their visitor and almost stepped back behind the shelter of Rosyth.

"I am sorry. I have never come across your kind before and it surprised me. I behaved abysmally." He flushed. There was no way this creature could understand him. "Sorry," he repeated, bowing.

The burst of laughter made him flinch. Rosyth hissed something, but the creature made a curious flicking gesture at him. Its fingers were not webbed as Daniel had expected, but were long and tapered with more joints than should have been necessary. The creature mimicked Daniel's bow with a sort of awkwardness that belied such a gesture was foreign to it.

Rosyth spat something at it and the reply that was given was curt to the point of rudeness. The visitor flung a hand out at one of the carts of the caravan. It seemed to have strapped to it a huge keg. Daniel wondered if it was water, surely they did not need that much wine! Rosyth grumbled and began to lead him towards it.

The spokesperson of the caravan called him to a halt. It pointed at Daniel-with one finger and Rosyth's glower was unmistakable-and gestured at itself. Daniel tensed and Rosyth made the negating gesture. Again the creature gestured at itself and said something in a chiding tone. If it had eyebrows Daniel was sure it would have raised one. Rosyth wavered, glancing from Daniel back to the carts that seemed to be supplies for the castle. Were these merchants then?

Rosyth cupped his face. He inclined his head back at the front door. "You want me to return?" The answer did not seem to be a firm yes, but it was not a no either. Rosyth seemed ill at ease with bringing him along to the far carts. Well, it did seem like it would be a tedious business, to hear Rosyth natter on while Daniel's only purpose would be to hang off his arm as a decoration. "I will wait here." Rosyth studied him, and then darted in to kiss his cheek. Daniel sputtered and stumbled back. "Rosyth, please! We've an audience!" His friend smiled, pulled his hair and turned to stalk off towards the waiting carts.

Daniel seated himself on the steps, hoping the merchant that had greeted them would follow Rosyth. His luck did not seem to be holding. Soft, chittering sounds made him look up from his clenched hands. The creature was seated on its haunches, holding out what appeared to be a stick. It wiggled the object enticingly. It was as if it meant to call him over, like a cat or a child. Daniel blushed. "I do not want it, thank you." He scuffed his heel into the sand, sending up a small cloud. He tried to ignore that he was very well acting like the peevish child.

The creature laughed, a strange throaty sound. It brought the stick up to its wide mouth and took a bite, licked its lipless chops with a too long tongue and again held what proved to be food out to him. Daniel glanced at where Rosyth had gone. His tall form was no longer in sight, no help from that quarter then. The chittering was started up again. "Here kitty, kitty, kitty," Daniel muttered. He plucked the stick from the creature and took a bite before he lost his nerve. His eyebrows rose. "It's good!" It was an odd taste, all at once smoky and sweet. The creature laughed and pulled out another treat from its many pocketed vest. It held it out and took a step back.

"Where do you want me to go?" Daniel rose to his feet, glancing at the many covered carts before him. The creature pointed at the biggest one, perhaps its own abode on its travels. Daniel groaned. "I am entirely too curious for my own good." The sand shifted under his bare feet and he made a note to ask Rosyth for shoes in the near future. He snatched the treat from the visitor's hand as he passed it. "Lead on!"

"On!" The creature mimicked, making Daniel start. It took Daniel's arm as they walked, helping him keep his balance in the sand. Daniel tried not to mind that it towered above him or that its bulk could crush him easily.

Outside had been warm, but not uncomfortably so, yet the coolness inside of the cart was inviting. Inside was crammed full of shelves and brick-a-brack, chests with cloth spilling from them littered the floor, yet there was a space cleared in the center for a table and two curiously huge pillows. Daniel approached one and kicked at it. A slap on his back sent him sprawling across it. "You could have asked me to take a seat," he grumbled, rightening himself. It did prove to be a very comfortable perch.

His host busied itself, darting around its quarters and throwing various jars of things on the table before him. Daniel fished a ball of something sticky from one jar and held it up to his lips. "Edible?"

The merchant picked up one as well and tossed it into its mouth. It had small, very sharp looking teeth. "Edible!"

Daniel smiled and took a bite. Again, it proved to be delicious. The merchant stomped to the door and called out in a booming voice. It then took a seat on the other pillow. Another of its kin soon entered bearing a pot of something that steamed. Two chipped cups were found and thrown down on the table. The newcomer was a huge brute; its features flatter than Daniel's host. Daniel looked at the shape of it and compared it to that of the owner of this abode. Daniel realized that his host was in fact a hostess. He took another bite of his sweet to hide his mortification. If he had known he would not have acted so boorish!

The merchant jerked its head at the door and the bearer of the liquid grunted, flicked its wrist at them, before lumbering out.

"Thank you." Daniel hastily took the offered cup, not minding that his fingers were being burned.

"Thank you!" Daniel smiled. Here was a person that did not deem his language beneath it! Come to think of it, when Rosyth and the crea- the merchant had been conversing it had been in a tongue different than that in which he usually spoke. Daniel harrumphed.

The merchant picked up her cup and took a hearty gulp then looked at Daniel. Daniel smiled and took a small sip. It was scalding, but it was a familiar taste-the tea-like concoction he adored with his breakfast.

"It's very good."

"Good!"

"What is it called?"

"Called?"

Daniel pointed at the tea and raised his brows.

"Oo-luk." It was pronounced slowly and with care.

"What an unpleasant name for something so nice." He took another swig, glad that it had cooled somewhat.

His hostess touched her temple and spoke a word. "Bel'rok." She then extended her arm and brushed Daniel's temple. "Ut?" Her touch was cool and brought to mind the skin of an amphibian.

"Ut? Does that mean 'you'? Daniel. My name is Daniel."

"My name is Bel'rok."

Daniel laughed, delighted. "You are very quick with languages my new friend. Let me try my hand at yours." He pointed at himself. "Ut…Daniel?"

"Kai'em Dani'el." She corrected refilling their cups.

"Kai'em Daniel. Ut'em Bel'rok?"

"Ei." She smiled and Daniel flattered himself in thinking that she looked impressed.

"This is marvelous fun! Now how do I say 'thank you'?"

The merchant was only too pleased to teach her tongue and began to pull down things at random from her shelves to supply vocabulary. Daniel was thrilled that he seemed to be retaining it all to an almost eerie degree. His fears that his gift for languages had diminished were unfounded it proved. He was most taken with the books. The writing was elaborate and so complicated that it gave Daniel a headache. "Is this your language? Ut'es…?"

"Ut'es Tro'gol? Ni." Bel'rok seemed offended. She jerked her great head at the entrance. "Sor Nel'rum'gol."

"The writing of Rosyth's people?"

"Rosyth? Sor Chi'Rullum?" She laughed and petted Daniel's hair.

"I am so very glad that I amuse you." He flipped a book open at random to hide his embarrassment. The pages were blank in this one. A journal then? His fingers caressed the blank pages. The desire to fill the paper with words was a most unpleasant itching sensation. He would have thought he had had his fill of journals… and what stories did he even have to write nowadays? Was sick, recovered, am now being seduced by otherworldly lord… He flushed and snapped the book shut.

"Do you understand Rosyth's language?" He gestured to the door of the carriage. "Sor…Sor…gol…"

"Ni ni ni!" She closed her eyes-Daniel was unsettled that her lids shut length-wise-and rubbed her temples as if they hurt.

"I can relate all too well." He smiled.

"Yut?" She gestured at the book he had unconsciously clutched to his chest.

"Yut? Is that 'like' or 'want' I wonder?" Either way the answer was no. He made to set it back down on the table, but Bel'rok prevented him, pressing it back to his chest.

"Dani'el'em." She turned and began to riffle through a drawer, throwing things this way and that.

"Oh, thank you. Yosh'kal."

Grinning, she turned and offered him a cylindrical object that tapered to a thin point. When Daniel did not immediately accept it, she grabbed a fistful of paper from another drawer and began to write with it upon them. Her language on paper was simplistic and blocky. The next time they met Daniel hoped that he could persuade her to teach it to him. The second time she handed him the pen he accepted it.

The cloth covering of the caravan was wretched back, flooding the room with light. Daniel flinched, cringed back into his chair. Rosyth's expression faded from thunderous to abashed in mere seconds. Bel'rok chuckled and the stony look returned to his eyes as he turned to face her.

She waved at the pillow Daniel was on and said what Daniel took to be an invitation to have a seat. Daniel immediately scooted over to give him room. Rosyth grimaced and made the negating gesture. "Do not be so rude," Daniel muttered. Quirking an eyebrow at him, Rosyth spoke in his own language, the reprimanding ring to it unmistakable. Hurt, Daniel opened his new journal and busied himself with doodling.

Bel'rok chided Rosyth, her tone was joking but the set of her face showed that she was not too pleased with her customer. She turned, found a thick sheaf of papers and threw them down on the table. Rosyth flicked through them, making comments. Discussing what supplies he would need the next trip Daniel supposed.

"Dani'-" Daniel's head shot up, eyes wide. He had forgotten that he had given away his name to his new friend so carelessly. Thankfully she was very quick in her wits and stopped herself at his panicked look. Her eyes darted to Rosyth who was looking at him with an unreadable expression; her look was far from kind and a bit too knowing. Daniel was disquieted that his new friend seemed to not care for his lov…his slightly older friend.

"Dani?" Rosyth asked, prompting her to continue. Bel'rok only tutted and asked another question.

Rosyth knelt beside Daniel. He asked a question, his voice as gentle as the fingers that were stroking Daniel's face. Daniel pulled away and looked over at Bel'rok, hoping she could translate.

"Yut?" She gave the room an expansive gesture.

"Yut'ni." Daniel tried to ignore Rosyth reeling back with a hiss as he spoke the merchant's language. "I told you I was a quick study with languages once upon a time." Using Rosyth's shoulder, he got to his feet. "Are we done here?"

Rosyth tilted his head to the side and also rose to his feet, much more gracefully than Daniel had done. He did not protest when Rosyth helped him down from the caravan and kept a possessive arm around him as they walked back to the keep; he was already in a foul enough mood as it was.

Bel'rok followed, seeing her customers off to their door. Rosyth gave her a curt dismissal, but Daniel stayed him. "Tell her thank you. The afternoon was entirely too pleasant. Tell her I look forward to another lesson next time she comes."

Rosyth glowered at him and made no move to relay Daniel's message. Daniel gave a mental sigh and placed a hand over Rosyth's heart. "Please, love. Do not be so churlish and do it for me."

With a small growl, Rosyth put a hand over Daniel's and snapped out a rapid spiel in the travelers' language.

Bel'rok laughed. "Ei, Ei." She did a curious gesture with her hand that might have been some sort of salute and then turned back to her people.

Daniel slipped from Rosyth and entered first into their home. "I really have no idea what has gotten into you! Are you that jeal-" Rosyth grabbed his arm roughly, pulling him to a halt. Daniel whirled the angry retort dying on his lips as he watched Rosyth place a hand on the wall next to the pipe lined corridor. Lightening sparked into life and began to arch to and from the walls, guarding them from outsiders, entrapping them within. Of course, that is why it had reminded him of Brennenberg: it was the very same construction which had guarded Alexander's inner sanctum. His knees gave out beneath him.

Rosyth's arms were around him in an instant. Daniel let himself be enfolded, taking comfort and hating his own weakness. "I am fine, just over wearied." He clutched his journal so hard his fingers were beginning to ache.

Rosyth's hand brushed over the book as he caressed Daniel and he pulled back. "?"

"Can you not even speak a language I can start to comprehend?" Daniel grumbled. "It was a gift from Bel'rok." He opened it and leafed through the blank pages. "See? I think it shall be some sort of sketchbook." The page he had been scribbling in as Rosyth and Bel'rok had haggled fell open. "I did not realize that I have a small talent for illustration."

The arm around him tightened as Rosyth ran a reverential finger down the page where his own face had been inscribed.

"I gave my hand free reign and this is what happened. I hazard that you are very dear to me." His attempt at levity fell flat. A hand under his chin forced him to face his friend and Daniel felt a stirring of fear. Was there some sort of taboo in Rosyth's culture against the drawing of a person? There had been some peoples on Daniel's world that had felt such. The expression on his friend's face was too complicated to guess the meaning of, but when Daniel opened his mouth to voice an apology, Rosyth silenced him with a kiss that was at once violent and tender. The sketchbook fell unheeded from Daniel's fingers and he clutched at Rosyth's shoulders, trailed a hand down that curious spine and let himself be pushed down to the floor.


	12. Chapter 12

Daniel shifted. A cool wind was blowing in from the garden and he was of a sudden chilled. He reached out to pull Rosyth closer to him, but his hand met only with air. Opening his eyes, he looked around the room, but proved to be alone. "Not a nice way to start the morning", he grumbled to himself and sat up. His journal was lying on Rosyth's pillow, an orchid marking one of the pages. Daniel picked it up, curious, and opened it to the indicated page. On one side was the portrait he had drawn of Rosyth and on the other page, facing his drawing…He snapped the book shut, a burst of shocked laughter escaping him. Placing a hand on his cheek, he willed his face to cool, glad that Rosyth had had the foresight to leave him alone to discover his "gift".

Once more the master of himself, he opened the book and studied his own face. There was no mistaking the care that had gone into its etching. His drawn counterpart was half turned towards Rosyth's, eyes lowered, hair slightly mussed. Daniel wondered how early Rosyth had had to awaken to draw it, then wondered if he had hovered over Daniel's sleeping form, studying him to get down exactly the more minute details. Daniel threw down the book, flustered. The thought of someone watching him so intently as he was unaware was…but it was Rosyth that was doing the watching so maybe…it was all right? He buried his face in his hands. Why did these things have to be so confusing?

The door opened and Rosyth entered bearing their breakfast tray. His eyes fell on the book at Daniel's side. Daniel put his hand over it, spreading his fingers almost protectively. "I had no idea you also had an artistic bent."

Rosyth tsked and waved a hand in Daniel's direction. "True, I just found out about mine yesterday. I suppose I am in no position to chide that you did not reveal it earlier." Come to think of it though, the diagrams of contraptions that littered the workshop had had to have had their origin from somewhere and the most probable conclusion was that Rosyth's hand had created them.

"Where's my robe?" Daniel said to himself, casting around for the discarded article. Rosyth sang out something that Daniel could guess the meaning of and which made him flush. "None of that, you cad. Ah, here it is." He scooped up the scrap of cloth and fastened it around him.

Picking up his journal, he opened it to the page that bore their likenesses and held it out to Rosyth. "You made me entirely too comely, I am afraid. I thank you for it, but perhaps in the future, if you endeavor to draw my portrait again, something more realistic-"

Rosyth cradled his face in his hands and kissed him.

"You have to cease trying to win arguments in that fashion," Daniel said with a smile and turned his face up for another.

Rosyth ran his fingers down his drawing and then over Daniel's features.

"And I say that your affection has clouded your perception of me." He paused. "Well, I hope you never see me as I really am then." Another kiss was his reward and he let Rosyth help him to his seat, pulled closer to Rosyth's chair than usual.

As Daniel had guessed prior to the visit of the merchants, their arrival meant banishment from the workshop. When he rose to follow Rosyth, he was gently pushed back down into his chair. He was not able to hide his chagrin. "But why? I am sure I could be of some small assistance to you, no matter how complicated the endeavor is. Do you fear I would distract you or by some blunder mar your work? I assure you, I will-"

A finger against his lips silenced him. The word he uttered was almost harsh and Daniel knew it was a warning for him to stop his pleas. "And what am I meant to do with my time? I have prowled the gardens until I know its paths by heart. May I have access to some more rooms of the castle? I want somewhere new to-"

Rosyth next few words were even harsher than his last. He picked up the journal and pressed it to Daniel's chest. He flung a hand out at the gardens.

"Practice my sketching then." Daniel was becoming increasing less fond of being treated like a child. "Fine. But please refrain from returning to this room for the remainder of the day. You may also expect to sleep in your own bed tonight." That seemed to take Rosyth aback and Daniel smirked mirthlessly to himself as he stalked off into the garden, journal and pen in hand.

Daniel tried sketching several of the flowers he favored but his frustrations shown through and ruined his work. Finally he gave up and flung the journal from him. He ran his hands through his hair, trying to calm himself. The air was strange today; there was a heaviness to it and the day was so cool it verged on cold. Glancing up at the sky, Daniel saw a wealth of clouds drifting in. Was it about to rain?

Due to the possibility of inclement weather, perhaps another exploration of his new home was in order. True he felt as if he had tried every turn and corridor and had yet to yield something to feed his curiosity, but perhaps this time it would be different and a door would be carelessly left ajar.

Stopping to briefly wash himself in the adjacent bathing chamber-it had an organic feel to it such as the guestroom's, though no horrid sculpture in this one-he threw on clothes better suited for the day and ventured out.

The doors thwarted him again. One after another their handles refused to turn under his hand. The castle had seemed huge from the outside and Daniel knew there must be vast wings to it that he had yet to see, but they were all barred from him. There was a disquiet in the depths of him; one other person had kept the secrets of his home from him and look where that had led.

On instinct his feet took him on a path that would lead to the workshop. He wondered if the door would be locked or, if open, how furious Rosyth would be as his disobeying. Another turn and the door was before him. He hesitated to test it, wavered between pushing Rosyth into answering for his secrets or fleeing back to his room to pout. A hesitant step forward… and a hand-chill as the grave-closed around his wrist and pulled him back.

He gasped, began to fight, and then stilled when he saw the tall form of the servant, one finger pressed against its unseen lips. It then moved in front of him, blocking him from sight. Just in time too, as the door to the workshop was thrown open and the sound of running feet echoed through the halls. Rosyth, for who else could it be, skidded to a halt in front of Daniel's living shield. He asked it a question, his voice ringing out imperiously. The servant raised its hand, but Daniel could not see the gesture it made. Rosyth snarled and stormed off.

The servant's shoulders twitched, then it stepped away from him to walk down the corridor. After a moment, Daniel followed. The workroom door had fallen shut in the wake of Rosyth's departure and Daniel sighed. "It is a pity. It locks automatically when he is without and I did so want to-"

The servant raised a hand as it passed the door without slowing its pace. The door opened slowly, almost ominously. "My thanks," he whispered, daunted, but the servant was already turning out of sight.

Daniel stared into the room he had come to know so well. It seemed forlorn in the late morning light. Dust motes caught in the sunbeams and spun around one another. His footsteps were unnaturally loud as he moved about and examined the tables. There were no projects in progress upon them and the tools were properly stored. Whatever Rosyth had been working on, he had either hid it before his departure or… He wrapped his arms around himself. Mayhap there was no machine that he was diligently working on; perhaps he only came here to have some time away from Daniel. The thought chilled him, made him nauseous. His anger from the morning evaporated and he only wanted Rosyth to come back, to hold him and reassure that Daniel was still wanted, still desired. He sat down heavily upon the nearest bench.

Minutes passed and when Rosyth did not enter the room to either berate him for his trespass or ease the ache of doubt in him with unrestrained displays of affection, Daniel began to grow restless. Should he continue to wait here? Or maybe Rosyth was looking for him this very moment. Perhaps regret at how he had left Daniel this morning was what had inspired his frantic departure from the workroom. If he had returned to their rooms and not found Daniel within or in the gardens…the poor thing would work himself into a state and never think to retrace his steps to check the very room he had abandoned. The thought of Rosyth in distress over him was somewhat cheering. He would just have to be the one to search _him_ out then! Smiling to himself as he planned the best way to accept Rosyth's appologies, he reached out to open the door to the hallway.

There was a faint creaking from behind him.

Daniel froze, slowly turned to look over his shoulder. The far door-another thing he had been forbidden in this place-was open. Had it been open when he entered the room? He had been so lost in his thoughts he had not noticed. He approached it cautiously, plucking one of the more heavy tools from its place on the wall as he passed; his eyes never left the dark space between wood and white wall.

His hand was shaking as he pushed the door the remainder of the way open and it swung silently on its hinges. What had made the creaking sound then?

Pitch black inside. Daniel wanted to bolt, but he steeled himself for one tiny step over the threshold. Lights burst into being and he cried out in surprise, dropping his makeshift weapon onto the floor. The sound of metal hitting stone rang throughout the room. Glancing around Daniel saw nothing that could harm him nor anywhere that would offer a place of concealment.

The room was slightly larger than the workshop area and not as cluttered. Due to its size and lack of windows, it had the air of being cavernous. He approached one of the tables that lined the wall. Glass containers bearing strange liquids of various colors were scattered upon it. Daniel remembered the wine cellar, fumbling in the near dark to read labels on bottles and all the while that moaning coming from the darkness, letting him know that he was being hunted...He shook himself. Alexander had had a gift for chemicals, was it so for his son as well? Daniel touched the side of a beaker that held a sickly green liquid. The glass was cool to the touch, almost frosty. Daniel wiped his hand on his shirt and resumed wandering through this new discovery.

Was Rosyth also an alchemist of some sort? Maybe the liquids he worked with were hazardous which would account for their being in a separate room. It might also explain Rosyth's refusal to let Daniel enter his laboratory. He was ever so protective. "But really," Daniel muttered, "he could have just told me! There was no reason to keep it a secret." The creaking sound came again, further in the room.

Daniel paused, trying to place its location. A table stood perpendicular to the far wall. Many strange contraptions encircled it, tubes and wires flowing from the devices to spiral under a sheet that concealed the entirety of the table and its contents. On the floor were faint markings, almost scuffed into illegibility.

The machines were what grabbed Daniel's attention the most, they were not like anything Daniel had seen or worked on with Rosyth before. There was a certain sophistication to them, much more complex than the toys he was usually assigned to polish. He touched one of the contraptions which had thick coils that ventured under the sheet. It sparked against his finger, making him jump. Electricity and chemicals. What on Earth was Rosyth working on?

His fingers grasped the edge of the sheet almost of their own accord. _Do I really want to know? I have been happy here, I could be even happier. If Rosyth and I are not yet considered to be lovers, we will soon be and…that pleases me. I do not wish to ruin it._ He released the fabric and took a stumbling step back. Then, before he could change his mind, he swooped in and flung the sheet back.

He did not scream, nor faint or even become the least bit hysterical. A strange numbness penetrated throughout him and the world took on a quality that was almost dream-like. On the table was a body, presumably a dead body though Daniel would not dare to take its pulse to make sure of it. The corpse was a creature that was humanoid in its structure, though its features would never grace the face of any human. Neither of Rosyth's folk nor kin to the merchants, another race. There was no nose, only slits in its face where a nose should protrude. It bore not a single hair on its head and the flesh of it was a mottled grey with a faint scale pattern upon it. That damnable creaking sound again and its chest rose and fell with it.

Daniel watched it with a horrid fascination. This had to be another one of his dreams, another hallucination brought upon by his withdrawal from Laudanum. A hand closed around his shoulder and he did not even think to cry out or take his eyes from the reptilian corpse. He was being turned and he finally, regretfully, looked away and into the amber eyes of his almost-lover.

"Hello." It was all he could think of to say, his mind drawing a complete blank as to what would be proper for the situation. Rosyth's face was expressionless and Daniel thought it was strange though he could not come up with a reason why it would be. He took Daniel's hand in his and began to rub it. Daniel was surprised to see that it was trembling. Now that he thought on it, he did feel cold, colder than he could ever remember being-not that that said much. "I think I am feeling poorly." A strand of hair was tucked behind his ear and Rosyth took him in his arms.

"I was upset with how you left me this morning and I came to apologize. You were not in the outer room so I decided to wait for you when…" He did not know why he lied, but the words fell, slightly slurred, from his numb lips. "Have I done a bad thing? Have I angered you?" Rosyth held him tighter. As much as Daniel had hungered for his embraces minutes ago, now they inspired nothing within him. "I fear I need to sit down."

Rosyth ushered him into the workroom, positioned him in a chair and crouched before him, still holding his hands between his own, still rubbing them back and forth as if trying to instill in them a measure of his warmth. Daniel did not think he would ever be warm again. Rosyth finally gave his endeavors up as a lost cause and laid his head against Daniel's knees. He automatically began to stroke that long, white hair. It was finer than his own, soft as silk. The act was…calming. He closed his eyes, knowing he would have to ask the question but not wanting to.

"Why?"It burst from his lips; he longed to force it back into the chamber of his mouth, to choke on it.

Rosyth looked up and Daniel touched his cheek, brushed his thumb against his throat. He felt the other man swallow.

"I need to know." _No, I don't. Do not tell me. Let us forget I ever went into that damned room, take me back to bed and I shall let you do what I stopped you from last night…_

Rosyth closed his eyes for a moment. A peculiar head twist to the side and he rose to stalk over to the main door. He threw it open and then leaned against the doorway, looking out into the hallway as if waiting. His lips were pressed into a tight line and though he clutched the frame hard he could not hide the faint tremor in his hand. After several moments, Daniel gained his feet unsteadily and approached him. Whatever Rosyth had been looking for seemed to have had arrived. He entered the room again pulling one of the servants behind him. It did not seem perturbed at the rough treatment, did not seem to react in any way at all. Come to think of it they never did, barring the servant Daniel termed as "his".

With one last look over his shoulder at Daniel-what was that emotion in his eyes- he dramatically threw off the cowl and pulled down the fabric that covered its face. Not the same species that lay in the chamber beyond, something that was almost too close to human. This one was bald as well and Daniel could not tell from its features if it were male or female. Eyes, filmed and sightless, stared straight before it.

"I do not understand." Something was waking up in him and he willed it to stay sleeping. He could not bear to feel right now; it would destroy him, rip him to shreds.

Rosyth pulled open its robes and Daniel turned away. It was female and he felt dirtied though Rosyth's gestures had been nothing but clinical. He called something in a whisper and Daniel looked again. There were stitches all over its body, holding limbs in place and its insides contained. Some of the limbs and swaths of flesh seemed to have belonged to another. An arm was as scaled as the corpse's in the laboratory, one square of flesh over where its-her-womb would be was very lightly furred. She was a macabre patchwork doll.

Daniel shook his head, trying to either dismiss what he was seeing or make it fall into place within his mind so he might make sense of it. Rosyth took a long, sharp instrument from a shelf to slice open her forearm and peeled back the flesh. _Don't make me look, don't make me look, don't make me look…_ He looked. Inside were rods of metal and wire interwoven with the still red and moist muscles of her arm. Not a doll then but an automaton. Alexander's servants… "You use corpses to make servants. That is your main work then, not repairing…" His voice trailed off as he looked around the room, lost.

The feeling inside him was stirring stronger and he knew that trying to keep it contained was a losing battle. He wondered absently if he were about to be driven mad; there was a precedent for Daniels falling insane. A burst of laughter escaped him and he bit his lip to smother it. Bit too hard, blood began to trickle down his chin.

Rosyth was moving towards him and he did not think he wanted that, but his limbs were not obeying him at the moment. He kept shaking, the cold sinking ever deeper into his bones. He then recognized the feeling that was uncoiling inside: horror. And he let go. He let go of everything and felt Rosyth catch him as he fainted.

* * *

His dreams were fitful. Though there was no form to them, there were sharp sensations. The ragged edge of his breathing as he ran without hope, the despair in the face of a man who had orchestrated nightmares, and the shame of trusting one who should not have been given any piece of him, let alone his heart. "They are not aware. Their spirits have left them. Is this not economical? The worlds are littered with corpses, why not make the dead useful!" The voice echoed through the darkness and no matter where he went it followed him. "I need to make my livelihood somehow. I will not be shamed by-"

"You resemble your father over much."

That stopped the voice, but what was left behind was the sense of a cut too deep, of blood washing over his face, and a sorrow so profound one could drown in it.

Daniel woke in his room, staring up at the white, sandy ceiling. There was a nice breeze coming in from the garden bringing with it the scent of flowers. A cool, wet cloth was placed over his forehead. Turning his head slightly to the side, he saw that Rosyth was in bed beside him.

His emotions were a raw tangle; he did not even try to make sense of them. "My thanks. I seem to always be collapsing on you. I feel rather too much like a heroine from one of those dreadful gothic tales."

Rosyth frowned, probably not understanding the reference.

"Help me to sit up." A strong arm was moved under him and he was hoisted into an upright position. Daniel stared out at the garden for a long moment. Rosyth tugged on his hair and he had to repress a shudder. "I am sorry for acting so poorly. It was a dreadful shock." He turned to catch Rosyth's eye. "You should have told me."

Rosyth's expression belied that he did not think that that would have been for the best.

"Your…father also made such creatures. Not as well as yours." Something unreadable flitted across those aristocratic features. Confusion? He tried to push Daniel back down, but Daniel grabbed his hands. "Help me go into the garden, I need some fresh air."

Rosyth quickly made the gesture for no.

"Why not?!" Daniel cringed at the volume of his voice, the harshness in it. Rosyth seemed to flinch at it as well. He spoke a word and pointed up at the sky. Daniel couldn't see from his angle on the bed and finally convinced Rosyth to help him to his feet and hold him as he hobbled towards the open wall. The clouds that blew across the sky were darker now, heavy and ominous, bearing rain in their bellies. He could feel the tang in the air now, the charge to it. "A storm is almost upon us. Very well. Put me in my chair. I wish to watch it."

Rosyth placed him in the chair but moved to the small bit of wall that remained, raising his hand to close the entire thing.

"I said I wished to watch the rain."

Rosyth did not even glance at him as he moved his palm across the stones. The wall began to slide closed and Daniel growled softly, outraged at being denied. When Rosyth turned though, he had his features schooled into a calmness he did not feel. "What am I to do now?"

Rosyth clucked his tongue, his eyes so sad that Daniel hid his behind his hand so he would not have to look at them. Long fingers ran through his hair. Daniel reached up to capture them. A peal of thunder made him jump. Before today Rosyth would have at least smiled at him for his temerity, now though... "If I lie down, will you lie with me? I forgot I do not much care for storms." He flinched as the sky voiced its anger again. The hope that flooded Rosyth's face almost made Daniel break down into tears. He hesitated to help Daniel to the bed, instead gesturing to the table, a meal laid out upon it. "No food. I am not hungry. I just want to rest for a while." _I want to forget this day._

Daniel let himself be tucked against Rosyth, their limbs knowing the best way to fit against the other. Rosyth kissed the corner of his mouth. "Good...night." He had almost let 'good-bye' slip out. The lights dimmed as the rain began to fall. Rosyth's breathing slowed and evened out. Sleep did not come to Daniel. When he closed his eyes, thoughts of monstrosities with iron skeletons and decaying flesh danced in his head. He could not, would not, stay in this damned place another night.

* * *


	13. Chapter 13

Extracting himself from Rosyth's arms proved to be more arduous than he had expected. In sleep the other man was even more tenacious, holding on the tighter for every shift Daniel attempted, pressing their bodies together to fill up the spaces Daniel made. Finally, finally, Daniel was able to win his freedom though the cost was half rousing his captor.

"I must go to the privy." Rosyth grumbled and hid his face in Daniel's pillow. A chuckle escaped Daniel before he could quite bite it back. He stroked the rough ridges of the other man's back until he fell into a deeper sleep and even then he continued. With regret he finally let his fingers slip away. He stared down at the sleeping figure, thoughts of might have beens in his mind. Then he remembered what prowled the halls here and who their inventor was. Shutting his eyes, he turned away.

Thanking Providence that even at night the lamps still came on automatically when they sensed him, he made for the workshop. He had not noticed Rosyth closing it… Oh, but he had been unconscious when they had last left the chamber; he had no way of knowing if Rosyth had closed it or not! He cursed himself for a dolt. Hope led him onward though, and he started to work out other ways for escape if the door proved locked. A rope made of bed sheets perhaps? They would not reach the ground, but he could at least swing into one of the windows below…If there were windows below.

The door stood open and Daniel sighed in relief. Guilt pricked him as he entered; the reason Rosyth had been so careless had been due to his concern for Daniel. The lamps flickered on and illuminated the room and he froze; the servant Rosyth had summoned still stood where they had left her. Daniel edged around the corpse, keeping her always in sight. In the half-light of the evening lamps she looked even more ghastly than when Rosyth had revealed her for what she was: too much like those other abominations that had hunted him once upon a time. If Rosyth awoke to find him gone would he send the order for her and her brethren to search him out? A memory of hiding behind a barrel in the prisons whilst the mental voice of Alexander urged his servants to find him surfaced. "Never again." She did not stir at his voice.

He picked up the tool he had come for-the one Rosyth used to slice through metal as if it were paper-and with bated breath, approached her. There was no telling how many servants Rosyth had in this castle, but Daniel could make certain that there was one less. He raised the device and aimed it vaguely at her heart, then dropped his hand. They were insensate, they were walking dead, and thus it would not be a murder, not technically! He stepped around her and placed the edge of it to the back of her neck and placed his thumb on the button that awakened it. He had to take his own safety into account after all. Just as the old Daniel had done. His hand faltered.

That was right, that was how his former self had excused his actions and his descend into monster-hood: self-preservation. "I'm sorry." His voice was small, ashamed. He rested his forehead on her bared shoulder, the coolness of her flesh against his heated brow. "I am not him. I will never be him again." _No matter what._ He wrapped his arms around her and wept into the hollow of her shoulders. A touch so soft it was like the brush of a butterfly's wing against his hand and he pulled back, startled. Had she… But her hands remained where he thought they had been originally.

Unnerved and remembering his mission to escape he made to leave the room. He stopped, turned and fixed her garments so she was once more decent. "I truly am sorry." He ran a hand over her shaven head, disquieted by how young she looked. This time he did not look back as he left.

The cutter in hand he strode to the door he remembered Rosyth leading him to when they had descended to meet the merchants. He could not for certain say the exact location of it as Rosyth had hurried him through the halls so… There! He was almost certain that was the door, one of the few that bore a handle. He tried to open it, but it did not move under his fingers. Truly he had not expected it to, but it had been worth the attempt. He slid the cutter in between the metal and the wood. Would this even work? Most of the doors seemed to respond only to Rosyth and the magic he seemed to possess. Maybe they were protected from mortal tools. "Well, there is always the bed sheets," he muttered. "Here goes." He pressed the button.

The device made an unholy sound as it awoke to find wood between its teeth and not the metal it was accustomed. The smell of burning filled the air and Daniel worried that he was going to set the whole bloody door alight. With a shudder, the thing lurched downwards and with that one motion the handle fell to the floor. Daniel let the instrument follow and put his shoulder to the door.

A whole new wing of the castle lay before him. He yearned to try these doors, to see what secrets he could learn from the rooms they hid, but he knew enough not to give into temptation. His time was short. If Rosyth was not already awake and seeking him, he would be soon. Daniel did not trust his luck to hold enough for the lord of the keep to sleep until dawn.

He remembered that he needed to turn at a disquieting mark carved into the wall and lo, there before him stood the wrought iron gate that covered the elevator. He lingered over the design on it-some sort of stylized tree with cherubic faces peering out of its branches-before forcing it aside and exposing the small room beyond. From watching Rosyth on their ride down, it did not seem to operate any differently than the one he had come across in Brennenberg. Trying not to remember how that ride had ended, he stepped in, shut the gate, said a small prayer, and pulled down the lever.

Black stones flowed past him, occasionally there would be another floor, but they seemed few and far between. He passed a great chamber with several of the kegs the merchants had brought and when it had went past the elevator halted. It was the ground floor.

He stared at the gate that kept him from his freedom. To be honest with himself, he had not expected to get this far. What now? Rosyth had ridden a horse-like creature when they had first met, so surely that meant a stable somewhere outside. Daniel did not relish the thought of riding that hellish creature again, but it was certainly better than walking in the desert. So he would liberate the…horse. And then? Where would he go? He supposed he could try to follow Bel'rok and her band, hope that her obvious dislike for his lord would be enough to impinge upon her charity. But he could not recall what direction they had left. Come to think of it, Rosyth and he had not tarried to see them off.

Going back upstairs was always an option, slipping into bed with Rosyth and pretending he had never had this midnight adventure. But then the slack face of the servant rose in his mind, her outstretched wrist being sliced into without her flinching, her modesty not being minded or regarded as she was bared to show Daniel what she was. He gagged and had to crouch in the corner, thankful that he had not eaten and the retching was only dry. He welcomed the pain of it, it gave him resolve.

The gate clattered open as he spilled out into the main chamber. The light from the ascension room did little to illuminate it and Daniel quelled. The machines on the wall beside him wheezed and light sputtered into being. "Thank God." But God was not proving to be on his side after all. He had forgotten about the protections the keep had. He stared at the lightening weaving its way back and forth between the walls of the small hall that led to the main doors.

The elevator behind him snapped shut and began to rise. "Damn it!" He hoped it was an automatic function, knew that it was not. Rosyth would be here soon and he would either have to be away or come up with a very plausible excuse.

He touched the wall as Rosyth had done, but the lightening did not seem to notice. He rubbed the copper-like metal, traced symbols he vaguely remembered onto it. Nothing. Casting around he picked up a piece of scrap metal and threw it in …then promptly threw himself to the floor as it came hurtling out at him. Was there another way to control it? He stood, suddenly remembering the one in Brennenberg had only been appeased with an orb and his blood. He did not have an orb, but he did still have blood in his veins. He once again picked up the metal piece and slashed down over his palm and in desperation pressed it against the cold metal of the wall. A heavy thrumming began and Daniel's hopes rose, then there was the clatter of the gate being thrown open and he realized the elevator, and his Rosyth, had arrived.

Turning slowly, he held his hand from him. He had cut a bit too enthusiastically and blood dripped from it steadily. "Good evening." He really did need to make a study of what to say in awkward situations.

Rosyth had a hand on either side of the elevator's doorway and leaned upon them as he stared at Daniel. Daniel again realized how much taller than he the other man was, how much more strong. He rubbed at his aching hip. Gold eyes followed his gesture, and then darted to take in his wound and the bloodied handprint on the wall. He asked something in a voice that was so calm and quiet it made Daniel's stomach plummet.

"You just asked if I were an idiot, did you not?"

A mirthless smile and a head tilt to the side were his answers.

"I experienced a defense like this before and the way I overcame it was…" He held his hand before him.

Rosyth closed his eyes, visibly trying to keep his temper in check. "I guess it would not make such a formidable defense if any old blood would do." He let his hand drop to his side.

Finally entering the room, Rosyth approached him. He held his hands behind his back and Daniel thought it was to stop himself from slapping his runaway. He veered at the last moment, going over to examine the machines, poking one and adjusting the dial of another.

"I also ran across things such as your 'servants' before. They were given orders to kill me and because they had no minds in which to have qualms they were most effective in their chases. I…" Rosyth stopped his pointless ministrations and though his back was to him, Daniel knew that he had surprised him. "They still haunt my dreams at night. I cannot…I thank you for all that you have given me and know that I am proving a most ungrateful guest," he stressed the word 'guest' and Rosyth winced at it, "but please let me go. Do not ask me to stay under the same roof as those abominations."

Rosyth turned and the words that followed were passionate. Daniel could not meet his eyes, drew arcane figures in his own blood over his wrist. "I know you would never do something like that, to set them upon me after a quarrel like a hound onto a rabbit, but…I do not _know_ it! There was a time I thought your father could never do such a thing to me."

The sound of Rosyth's fist meeting metal made him jump. When Daniel looked up though his face was expressionless. His eyes glittered oddly and when he began to walk towards Daniel, the other man fell back, almost stumbling over his own feet. His goal was not his almost-lover though, but Daniel's handprint upon the wall. Placing his hand upon it, the lightening sputtered once and then disappeared. He stepped back and did an extravagant bow, gesturing at the far doors.

"You are…letting me go?" Daniel ignored the hurt that was stirring within him that he was being let go of so easily. He guessed he had finally proven too much bother. He walked down the hall, trying to keep his head held high, but the small of his back itched as it occurred to him that Rosyth only had to turn the lightening back on to wreck revenge. His outstretched hands met the doors and he pushed, surprised that they opened so easily.

A gale force wind hit him, a veritable ocean of rain water soaking him in seconds, leaving his hair plastered to his face and him gasping. He had forgotten about the storm. He stared out into it, at a loss. Rosyth chuckled. He said something mocking and Daniel hunched in on himself. He truly was a dolt.

Rosyth's hand was on his shoulder, trying to coax him back. This had been his plan, Daniel realized. This had been why he had opened all the gates and doors for Daniel, to have the storm stop him and graciously take him back with his tail tucked firmly between his legs.

Daniel gritted his teeth and turned. "Truly I do thank you for your hospitality. You saved my life and cared for me. I hope to one day be able to repay you." With a curt bow, he was through the door and in the belly of the storm.

The rain was falling so hard it felt as if it would bruise. The wind was stealing his very breath, but he marched on. He thought he heard Rosyth curse, but it was hard to hear anything in the tempest. His leg protested and dipped, almost spilling him to the ground. Another thing he had not taken into account. Rosyth grabbed his arm roughly and Daniel shook him off. He managed a few more paces before he was tackled to the ground.

Cursing, he tried to wiggle around to better attempt to push the other man off of him, but Rosyth held tight. They wrestled in the wet sand until Rosyth released him suddenly and stood up. Daniel crawled away, wondering what had made Rosyth retreat. The other man swooped in, picked him up and slung him over one shoulder.

Struggling was as ineffective as his wrestling had been. Once back inside, through the hall and into the entrance chamber, Rosyth threw him against the wall. His head hit the metal hard enough that sparks flashed across his vision. When he gingerly touched the back of his head his fingers came away bloodied.

Rosyth did not deign to notice that he had wounded Daniel, instead turning to touch the wall that activated the defense mechanism.

Daniel shakily got to his feet, trying to wrap the remains of his dignity about himself. "I suppose I am to return to my room."

Rosyth still did not turn, though his shoulders lowered slightly and his fingers on the wall curled into a fist.

"Very well. I can see myself to my own room, thank you." When he slammed the gate to the elevator shut that finally gained Rosyth's attention. Rosyth whirled, an exclamation leaving his lips. Daniel's answering smile was grim as he pushed the lever up.

Daniel stopped the elevator on the next floor. It was the one with the giant kegs he realized as he stepped forth, his hand keeping the gate from snapping closed behind him. The contraption made a series of odd clunking noises. Perhaps it was Rosyth trying to summon it back down. If so, then what was preventing it from going? Daniel glanced at the gate. A safety measure then? One he planned to use to his favor. He leaned against the gate and took off the sash around his waist, then tied the compressed rails together so it could no longer extend. The elevator continued to make its strange sounds, but the small chamber remained.

His hand throbbed and he held it from him, his wound had reopened. His head was pounding in time to his heart and his eyes kept closing of their own accord. A tiny voice in the back of his mind warned him against sleep, but it was easily ignored. Casting around, he decided to curl up between two of the kegs and under the mass of pipes that connected them to the walls. A few minutes of rest would not be unwelcome. When he awakened he could decide what to do and how to accomplish it.

He dreamt of watching the rain through a window. The glass was warped and he could barely see outside. Soft footsteps approached him. "Tell me a story, Danny. I am bored." A child's voice, a girl's voice. He did not know whose it was, but his heart ached painfully in his breast at hearing it. "I do not know any stories. I have forgotten them all." She began to weep. Ashamed, he turned to comfort her…

The sound of water dripping upon the floor. He listened to it for a few moments, disorientated. Opening his eyes revealed Rosyth crouched a few feet from him, drenched, sand sticking in patches on his face and in his hair. The phrase "drowned rat" flitted across Daniel's mind and he found it a very apt expression. If he still felt rage at Daniel's attempt to run away, it no longer showed on his face. Instead those aristocratic features were pulled down into something like exhaustion…or sorrow.

"However did you find me?" Daniel asked. He also no longer had the strength to feel fear or anger, only a dull sleepiness, a resignation for the inevitable.

Rosyth almost touched his temple, his hand hovered for a few seconds before descending to indicate the trail of blood that led from the elevator to Daniel's hiding place.

"Oh dear." He had not realized he was losing quite so much blood.

Rosyth started to reach for him then stopped himself, instead leaving his hand outstretched between them. Hesitantly Daniel put his injured hand into it. Taking off one of the many sashes that wrapped around him, Rosyth began to bind the wound. The coolness of the rain water felt nice against it. Daniel looked from Rosyth's sash to his own still keeping the gate open and the elevator in its place.

"How did you climb up here?"

Rosyth sighed in an almost fond exasperation. He rapped one of the massive kegs with his knuckles. They were too mammoth for the small elevator that carried themselves to and fro…Oh. "There is another way up. Another elevator?"

Rosyth pulled Daniel to his feet.

"But…"

Rosyth mimed sleep and waking up, then a gesture of giving and taking between the two of them. They would discuss everything upon the morn it seemed. Daniel sighed. He was too tired to think right now, too tired to find the anger that had spurred this ill thought-out escapade. Sleep sounded heavenly right now.

As soon as they were ascending, Rosyth let him go and stepped away. Daniel tried not to feel bereft. He had wanted this, had he not? This was for the best. The room stopped upon the floor that was 'theirs' and Daniel's stomach did a curious turn. He did not want to go back to his room, did not want to have to say good night to Rosyth and watch him walk away to his own chambers.

He pulled on Rosyth's sleeve to halt him, stall him, but when the other man turned he realized he had no idea what to say. His mouth opened and closed, then opened again with resolve…The lights flared and then died, plunging them into darkness.


	14. Chapter 14

The only sound Daniel could make was a startled squeak. His body went rigid; he knew he should move, should try to find the wall to help guide him or Rosyth but moving… What if he reached out and his fingers brushed against the cold, rotted flesh of those things which pursued him? Or one of the other Daniel's shades which had come back to seek vengeance for its gory death? He started shivering then, the sound of his teeth grinding unnervingly loud inside his own skull. A hand grabbed his shoulder and he screamed. Rosyth spoke, clutched him more firm. The force of Daniel's body hurling into Rosyth's almost knocked the other man down. Daniel scrunched his eyes tight and pressed his face into the fabric of Rosyth's tunic. "Please turn the lights back on! I'm sorry! For everything! I will do anything…."

Hands that were surprisingly gentle tried to pry him away, but Daniel only clung the tighter, fingers clawing into Rosyth's clothes, his hair. "Just turn the damn lights back on! I cannot… I…" Giving up as a lost cause the fight to push Daniel from him up, the shaking man was instead pulled forward. His forehead against the steady beating of Rosyth's heart, he began to sob, great wracking things that shook his whole frame and rubbed his throat raw. Fingers combed through his hair and Rosyth's voice was a throaty rumble against his chest.

Rosyth once again tried to put him from him, but Daniel refused, clung tighter. Rosyth spoke again, intensity growing with each word. It sounded as if he were pleading, but Daniel could not relinquish his hold on the other man. Without touch Rosyth could fade into the dark, leaving Daniel-and the things that lurked only in the dark-to wander in it forever.

"Open your damn eyes!" Rosyth grabbed him roughly by the shoulder and shook him. Shocked, Daniel complied. Rosyth's face was cast in a strange blue glow…glow…there was a light?

Daniel's eyes flew to Rosyth's other hand which was held aloft, a blue flame, much like the one Daniel's servant had summoned, hovered in the curve of his palm.

"Oh." He laughed and slumped against Rosyth, who was stroking his back. Daniel let himself be soothed and reached out for the tongue of flame. Rosyth realized his intent too late and attempted to hold it out of reach at the last second, but Daniel's fingers had already curled around it. A hiss as Rosyth took in a sharp breath and then an exhale as he watched as Daniel took it from him, the flame dancing in his own hand. It tickled slightly and gave off a small amount of warmth. Rosyth muttered something but could not keep the slight awe from his voice.

"Am I not supposed to be able to do this?" Daniel was worried then shook it from him. He had light, he was happy for the moment. Rosyth grabbed his wrist and pulled him down the labyrinth of halls. "Where are we going?"

Rosyth growled a curse and stopped to explain. He pointed at Daniel-one finger and Daniel frowned at it- and indicated the direction of his room. He gestured to himself and then up to the ceiling where the lights were very much not in evidence. "You are going to repair the lamps?" Daniel could not stop the smile on his face; he had thought that Rosyth would wait until the morrow. Rosyth seemed nonplussed and awkwardly looked away. He made a half-hearted wave in Daniel's direction. "For me?" The warm glow that suffused him was short lived. "You are not leaving me alone in the bloody dark!"

Rosyth tentatively pointed at the flame in Daniel's hand. "I don't care! I have been alone in the dark much longer than any person ever has need to be. Never again! I will accompany you."

Rosyth's shoulders slumped.

After a trip to retrieve tools from the workshop and then a trek which seemed endless up flight after flight of stairs, Daniel almost regretted his decision to follow Rosyth. They finally came to a huge space that was filled with naught but machinery. Daniel did not like it; it was too eerily reminiscent of other rooms from his past.

Rosyth weaved in and out of them, finally spotting the one he needed. He made to take the flame from Daniel, but he hastily withdrew a few paces. There was no way that he was giving up his only light in this God forsaken place! Rosyth closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. Finally he tied his long hair in a messy knot and gestured that Daniel should crawl with him underneath the great machine they were before.

It would probably try Rosyth's patience in him to remark that he was slightly claustrophobic… Comparing his fear of the dark to his displeasure with tight spaces, it was no contest as to which one would win out. Gulping he slid in beside Rosyth.

The other man grabbed his wrist and positioned the strange flame so he could better see the innards of the mechanism. He set to work and Daniel watched him. As always, Rosyth preoccupied with his work moved him. The intense concentration the man was capable of, the way Daniel could guess at how the work progressed through the slightest play of muscles in his face… His heart twisted within him and he had to turn away.

"I have acted an idiot." The sound of clanking paused then resumed. It was all the answer Daniel needed.

After dozing off for the second time, Daniel was shaken. Rosyth indicated that they could climb out. Once free, Rosyth rested his hand upon a great lever. He paused and glanced over at Daniel. He then stepped away and motioned for Daniel to take it. Daniel really did not deserve the honor but he dearly wished a return of the ever present lamps. He pulled the lever down with more vigor then was needed.

There was a horrible scraping of metal against metal and the smell of ozone. The sudden sounds startled Daniel and he closed his fingers that held the flame. It extinguished casting them in darkness. Daniel gasped. Then the room flooded with light. It was the second time that night that Daniel threw his arms around Rosyth. This time though Rosyth showed no sign of relinquishing him.

The trip back down to their rooms was awkward. It was a difficult feat to walk while trying to keep the other pressed as tightly to you as possible, but they managed.

Rosyth released him in front of his door and Daniel spun, surprised. "You…need not go. If you do not desire…"

A silver brow was raised. "I…" Daniel touched his face, afraid the other man would pull away. "I cannot bear to stay here and condone what you do, but to lose you…" He took a breath. "To never see you again would feel akin to dying." Rosyth stepped forward at that, kissed Daniel's brow, the lids of his eyes. "Let me stay," Daniel whispered as Rosyth fumbled with the belts that bound his shirt to him. Daniel lifted his arms up so his tunic could be pulled over his head. He took Rosyth's hand and drew him into the room, over to their bed. He ran his fingers through that long ethereal hair as Rosyth's seemed to be attempting to map every nook and cranny of Daniel's body. Daniel's hands came away gritty with sand. He laughed. "We are fine messes, the both of us."

Rosyth's answer to that was to lift him up and lay him down. Daniel gasped as sharp teeth nipped his neck. "Make it all right, Rosyth. Make me be able to stay, oh please."

* * *

Daniel sighed wearily as he wandered the halls in the dark, the tantalizing glow always just around the corner. He was getting very tired of this dream. Hesitating at the branch that led to the room with Alexander's family portrait, he wondered what would happen if he chose not to follow his elusive guide. He took a step down the hall that led to the workroom…and was spun around until he once more faced the hall of faces. That answered that.

The light flickered out and Daniel felt the familiar panic surge. A door opened. Light spilled out and along with it a man. "Rosyth!" Daniel ran to him, remembering from prior dreams how he would find him. Rosyth braced himself against the wall, his arm pressing to staunch the flow of blood from his wound. "What happened?" He took hold of the man's face and turned it towards his own.

Rosyth started upon seeing Daniel, and then his expression eased into something fond and a touch wry. "You _would_ make me dream of this tonight."

"I am…sorry?" Daniel's hands once more flew about his person, still not finding anything to act as a tourniquet. He put his hands over the wound; blood pouring through his fingers, but Rosyth grabbed his wrists and pulled them away.

"I did not die from this wound then, I will not now. Leave it." He stroked Daniel's hair, left bloody fingerprints freckling his face. "He is in there you know." He looked over at the door.

"Who is, love?"

"My father whom you seem so enamored of. Why do you not go and pay your respects?" He took Daniel's arm as if to drag him in. Daniel's knees failed him and after hitting the floor, he scuttled backwards from Rosyth's reach.

"How can you think me enamored of him?! Your father is a monster! And-" So are you, rose to his lips and then faded.

"I am not my father." Though the tone was harsh, Rosyth's expression was affable as he sank down to the same level as Daniel. "Do well to remember that." He reached out and gently touched Daniel's cheek. Daniel flinched away from it. "Did I win tonight?"

"Win? I do not understand you."

"Did I win you?" His head canted to the side, his eyes never leaving Daniel's face. "When you took me to your bed after leading me on that chase, did I finally prove to you how much you mean to me? Do I get to keep you now?"

Daniel shook his head and shrank against the stone at his back. "No. I…do not know." He clutched his head. "There is much I need to…things you have to excuse."

"Explain, you mean? And if I were to fail to come up with suitable explanations to appease you, how are you going to accomplish your escape, my love?" Such bitterness in that voice.

"I…" Bel'rok. He had been planning-before sleep overtook him while Rosyth's arms surrounded him- to wait for the merchants to come again and ask her to take him along. He did not feel it would be wise to share this with Rosyth now. "I would have thought of something."

Rosyth closed his eyes. Blood was pooling on the floor, ever widening. Daniel tucked his feet under himself to avoid it. "I love you," Rosyth said, opening his eyes; the look in them was searing. "No one ever thought me capable of love before, not even myself and yet…" He reached out for Daniel who turned away.

"I love you too." He whispered to the wall. "Still. Forever perhaps." His head hurt. "Something is wrong with me. My mind, it is cloudy."

"Ah." Rosyth smiled. "That is because I finally found you, my little mouse. It took me these many months, twisting and turning through your mind while you slept, but I finally found what I needed."

"What?"

"Your mind is so damaged. From whatever caused your amnesia I'd wager, well no matter." He tugged on Daniel's hair. "I have enough to work with."

"What are you attempting to do?" Daniel shook his head. There was an unpleasant sensation inside his skull, as if thousands of fiery ants were scurrying about inside.

"I'm trying to fix you." Rosyth's fingers fisted in his hair and wrenched him forward, lips hungrily seeking his own.

* * *

Daniel was groggy in the morning. His head throbbed and his entire body was sore. Rosyth curled around him in sleep. One arm was over Daniel's waist, the other was making a pillow for Daniel's head. If they had covered themselves with blankets, they had all been kicked off at some point during the night. He explored the ridges of Rosyth's spine with one finger. Amazing there used to be a time he had been repulsed by this. Rosyth shivered and opened his eyes. He smiled as he saw Daniel awake and traced his chin, the bone under his eye, his eyebrow.

Daniel stilled the exploring hand by holding it to his lips, kissing the fingertips. He leaned in and kissed him. It was lingering and sweet and ended too soon. He played with a strand of Rosyth's hair, rubbing it between his fingers, holding it out so it caught the light. He let it fall and leaned over to whisper "Good morning" against Rosyth's lips.

Rosyth kissed him, nipped at his lip. "Good morning."

Daniel reeled back.

"But I…" Daniel rubbed at his ear. "How…?"

"I finally found enough of your mind to make a connection, albeit a small one." He frowned. "I thought you wanted this, for us to be able to talk."

Daniel rose from the bed, hurrying over to his robe to cover himself.

"My love, you did want this? You said so often enough. "

"I…" Daniel hovered between closing himself off in the bathing room or running out into the halls.

Rosyth stood, paying no heed to his nudity. "Whatever is the matter? Did I hurt you last-"

"No! No, last night was lovely, I just…" Daniel hid his face in his hands. "I do not know what to talk to you about."

Rosyth laughed. "Is that all? Anything, nothing. Talk of the weather, what food you prefer," he took Daniel's hand and kissed the inside of his wrist, "how I make you feel." Daniel tried to pull away. "Or speak of nothing at all and just let us lay in bed in silence, let me listen to your breath and the beating of your heart. I think it the sweetest music."

"You are more poetic than I thought you would be," Daniel grumbled, letting Rosyth embrace him.

"Is that bad? Does it spoil me?"

"Not at all. It is only different from my assumptions." Daniel looked up, anxiety in his eyes. "What if you find me a bore? What if I am not as charming a conversationalist as-"

"My gift, my heart," Rosyth shook him, a slight smile on his lips. "I have been listening to you babble on to yourself for weeks. You are always entertaining."

Daniel did not quite know how to take that, so he changed the subject. "You meddled with my mind?" He rubbed at his temple furiously as if trying to scrub something clean.

Rosyth blinked. "Well, yes. How else could I have-"

"Did you…see anything last night? In my mind?" Daniel bit his lip.

"You think I would- I saw nothing, I did not go prying through your past or your secrets. That is what you are getting at, is it not?" When Daniel was still ill at ease, he continued, "Your mind is shredded. I couldn't find anything in there but fleeting impressions, even if I tried. I didn't even set out to touch your mind last night. It happened by chance, as it has done in the past."

Vague dreams involving Rosyth flashed in his mind. "When we sleep next to one another…"

"Yes. Our sleeping minds tend to bleed into one another."

Daniel shuddered at the image. There had been blood in the dream last night, had there not? He looked at his hand, still wrapped 'round with Rosyth's sash.

"We should probably tend to that a bit better."

"You have 'healer' as well in that long list of accomplishments you hold?"

"Among many other things. Now let us bathe and dress for the day."

Daniel was reminded that the other man was unclothed. And pressing him very tightly against himself. He immediately looked away. "I think I can bathe myself."

"So bashful this morning, my love. You were not so bothered last night!"

"I could not talk to you last night!"

"A certain degree of anonymity made it tolerable?"

Daniel's blush intensified and he mumbled something. Rosyth smiled. "I shall stop teasing you. Now, kiss me and say you forgive me."

Daniel wavered. "There was a reason I fled you last night."

Rosyth's smile turned sharp. "I had hoped I would be able to make you forget that particular qualm." He let go of Daniel and walked over to the wardrobe, pulling out clothes for the both of them.

"Do not make it seem childish! What you do, it is horrible! I do not know if I can keep being your lover if-"

"Do you want me? You said so last night, said it would be like death to be separated from me. I can't see how you have any other option but to bear with the horridness of my career."

"It is unnatural! An abomination in God's eyes to disrespect the dead so!"

Rosyth looked over his shoulder at him. "God?" He grinned at the word. "Your 'god' is not mine, and mine do not mind my profession, I can assure you."

"And how can you know that?"

"Because," Rosyth threw the clothes over the back of a chair and advanced on Daniel. He held him, kissed his hair, and rested his cheek against it. "They gave me you."

* * *

Scrubbed clean, clothed and bandaged, they exited the bathing chamber to discover that breakfast had been laid out on the table for them. Daniel's smile slipped from his face as he thought on what kind of creature had done the task. Rosyth pulled a strand of his hair and pulled out a chair for him. Daniel sighed and took a seat, immediately reaching for his Oo-luk.

"You are very fond of that drink."

"It reminds me of something from my home." He took a sip and sighed as its warmth suffused his body.

"I shall make sure we always have a steady supply of it then." Rosyth touched the back of Daniel's hand where it lay on the table between them. Daniel lifted his hand, before Rosyth eyes could flash a warning, he interlaced their fingers together. Rosyth smiled, hummed a fragment of song as he picked up a biscuit of a slightly blue hue.

"Your lips do not quite match your words. They move the slightest bit out of synch. Is that because…"

"You are hearing my language and your mind is translating it for you into your own."

"Remarkable."

Rosyth hesitated. "Do you not have beings with such skills where you are from?"

"I had never encountered them before." Daniel cocked his head to the side, thinking. "We had them in legend, but I do not think anyone in the modern day believed them to be real anymore." Daniel had been proven wrong on that point, but that was not a story he cared to recount.

"I will confess myself surprised that you are capable of it. Usually the infer-" Rosyth closed his mouth and grimaced. "Other races do not seem equipped for our mental arts. It takes a very…developed mind."

"I was a scholar, you know," Daniel huffed, not quite liking what Rosyth was driving at.

"Yes, you have told me before. At great length. I was not insulting your intelligence." He tightened his hold on Daniel's hand. "Will you come with me to the workshop today?"

Daniel's face blanched.

"Not for any of that work, forgive me, but you have not the skills or knowledge for it. I do have some small, menial tasks you could occupy yourself with and…" He looked away, suddenly awkward. "I would not mind having you close. After last night," his thumb rubbed against the back of Daniel's hand, "I want you as near to me as possible."

Daniel did not know if he was making reference to Daniel's attempt to leave him or to their love making. "I… do not think that would be wise. I would love to be of help to you but not while you are going about that unholy work in the next room. Do not ask that of me."

Rosyth growled. "Is this to be a constant point of contention between us?"

Daniel blinked. "Of course it is, how can it not be?"

Rosyth let him go and rose to his feet. "My kind's morals are not yours. We find nothing wrong with putting the dead to use." He bared his teeth in what was meant to be a smile. " And let me remind you that you are far from your home. I suggest you adapt. The Lords know, this world isn't going to adapt to you!"

Daniel stood up, hand on the table to keep himself from swaying. "I knew someone once who gave up all his principals and morals. It left him…wrecked, changed. Twisted into something unrecognizable. I will never yield on this point, that I think this is wrong."

"Will it make you not love me?"

He wavered. "It should." He could not look Rosyth in the eye.

"Does it though?" Rosyth tilted his chin up and Daniel met his eyes, anguished. "I see. Good." He kissed him on the forehead. "Then let us agree to disagree on this and I will endeavor to make you forget all about this silly scruple."

"How do you intend to do that?"

Rosyth's smile was mischievous.

* * *

"This is not quite what I imagined you meant, Rosyth," Daniel chided from his perch on one of the massive machines by the main entrance.

"I thought you liked watching me work. You can barely take your eyes off of me in the workshop." Rosyth did not look up from the wires inside the metal beast and thus missed Daniel's fluster. He rubbed at his cheek and it came away grimed. Daniel coughed. He was right, damn him. He snapped the door shut and knelt, flipping up another compartment.

Daniel watched his fingers fly through their work, pressing a series of buttons in an unknown sequence. "I know you do not like the comparison, but you do remind me a lot of your father. Not through any resemblance to his misdeeds, but by your intelligence and skill."

"My father, intelligent?" Rosyth smirked. "And what skill do you speak of?"

"Why, your work with machinery! Your father was a genius with it as well!"

Rosyth burst out laughing, he laughed so hard the cover shut on his fingers and he yelped. Daniel was dismayed.

Rosyth sucked on his sore fingertips as he stood. He pried a small section of the machine free and pulled it out. It looked to be a rectangular slate. "Now it is your turn." Hands around Daniel's waist, he helped the man slide off his seat.

"What do I do?"

"Place your hand upon it." Daniel hesitated. Rosyth chuckled, "Afraid of it?"

Daniel put his uninjured hand upon it, fingers splayed.

"Good. Now hold still for one…" He pushed a button on the side of it. "There. You can remove your hand." Daniel did so, staring at his palm, completely perplexed.

"What was the purpose of that?"

"Come here let's test it out." Rosyth's arm was around him and leading him to the hallway where the lightening stood guard. "Touch the wall. You can still see your hand print from last night, touch it there."

Daniel did. The lightening died. "I…do not understand."

"Call it a present. A gift to show my intentions towards you are just."

"And the other rooms-"

"Will also be open to you from now on. What is mine, is yours."

Daniel did not know what to say and instead let his emotions be expressed in a more physical manner. He was overwhelmed, excited…and a small part of him was dismayed. How could he ever leave now that Rosyth had given him the means to go at anytime?

* * *

While Rosyth worked, Daniel explored. He would content himself with the floor his room was on today. Rosyth said the rains were likely to last a week this time of year, so he could have a new floor a day to look forward to until the weather cleared.

He had not come across anything too exciting yet. Several rooms that looked like studies, some other guest rooms… He did stumble across some sort of chapel despite the lack of alter. The ceiling was lost in shadows and the wrought iron over the windows displayed scenes both beautiful and somehow repelling. Daniel could not make out what exactly was being played out in those sets they depicted and did not wish to find out. He already had enough nightmares.

As he left the room, he noticed he had a visitor. It was a servant. His servant.

"Hello. Have you been out in the rain?"

Its garments were drenched and an ever widening pool of water was beneath it. It seemed to have been waiting for Daniel to leave the chapel. Daniel took a step towards it, repelled even more by what he knew it to be, but still curious.

It took a step back. It turned with a flourish of black fabric and sped down the hall. Daniel followed. He chased it down the halls, if you could call it a chase when neither of them increased their pace more than a fast walk. It rounded a corner and when Daniel made the turn the hall stretched ahead of him, empty.

"Where could it have gone?" A few steps down the corridor revealed a stairwell up. Windows dotted the climb and at one of them was the servant. Daniel ascended the stair, ignoring his protesting hip.

"Why did you lead my on such a merry chase?" It showed no sign of hearing or understanding him as usual. It seemed to be gazing out into the desert. Daniel also looked out, surprised that the wind and rain were moving the sands around into a landscape that was unfamiliar.

He looked at his companion out of the corner of his eye. "I…now know what you are. Can I…Could I see your…" The servant turned to him then, a small angling of its face. It lowered its head. Unnerved, Daniel reached for its cowl with shaking fingers.

When he pushed the fabric aside, the face of a woman, a very beautiful one at that, was revealed. Were all the servants female then? The thought made him nauseous, made him retch. Her features were starker than the other two servants Daniel could be said to have met. The only thing she had in common with them was the hair that she lacked.

Daniel's fingers ghosted over her cheekbones, so high and sharp. Like Rosyth's. "You are of the same race as he." Perhaps it was seen to be something economical, putting the dead to use. Daniel had feared, after seeing that the two others had been of a different race, that this practice was only allowed on those that were thought inferior.

"You poor thing." His hand moved over her brow, his palm across the egg-smooth dome of her skull. "Are you truly not aware then? He said that you are nothing but dolls of flesh that do only the biding of your masters. Soulless, mindless…" She did not react, no flicker in those coal black eyes that showed she heard him. "How can that be though? You have shown me kindnesses I did not expect, you gave me comfort. If your soul has indeed fled, then how…" He shook himself. There was no way for her to give him the answer he craved, the one that might make it excusable to stay as Rosyth's lover.

Her face tilted towards his. Was that a smile on those full lips or just a play of shadow? With a swirl of garments she left him, mysterious as ever even though now he knew her face. He turned back to the window and rested his hand upon the sill. His hand brushed against something small. Looking down he found his fingers curled around a single perfect orchid, raindrops glistening upon it.


	15. Chapter 15

"How do you claim another as your own where you are from?" Rosyth's voice was as lazy as the afternoon sun that lit what had become "their" room- Daniel's no longer. Their sweat was cooling on their skin. Daniel arched his back, enjoying the slide of his flesh against Rosyth's. Rosyth put a hand against the small of his back to keep him against him.

"I…do not know exactly what you mean. Do you mean a marriage?"

Rosyth shifted Daniel until he could tuck Daniel's head under his chin. "A…marriage? Something like that, yes."

"Marriage" was slightly blurred in Daniel's mind, a sign that the word did not directly translate and his brain was trying to supply a word as close to its meaning as possible.

"We have a ceremony."

Rosyth's breath stirred Daniel's hair. "Perhaps that is not what I mean after all. How do you show that one is possessed? That one has taken them?"

Daniel twitched. He did oft times not like how Rosyth worded things. He tried to tell himself that things were confused in translation, but… "That someone has a partner, do you mean? Let me think. They wear a ring on a certain finger."

"Which finger?"

Daniel raised his left hand and wiggled his ring finger. Rosyth touched where the band would have rested. "Would you wear one if I made you a present of it?"

Daniel forced himself to laugh. "Only women wear such rings! Besides, men cannot be bespoken to other men."

"Why?"

"It is just not done."

He swore he could feel Rosyth's frown. "Such relationships do not exist in your land?"

Daniel hesitated. "They do, but they cannot be public knowledge. Such things are punishable by goal or hanging in some places."

The arms around him tightened. "How barbaric."

"And no one minds us here? We would pass without comment if you took me out to a town and openly showed your affection?" He could not quite keep the yearning out of his voice when he said 'town'.

"No one would care."

"Perhaps we are a barbaric land indeed. How does your kind 'claim' one another? 'Pronounce their bonds' seems better put, actually."

Rosyth's fingers brushed against Daniel's temple. "We just know when we look at one another."

"Hm." Daniel felt that he was not being given a full answer, but the air was heavy and the scents from the garden sweet. He was content to let it lie and to listen to Rosyth's heart beat. He placed a hand on Rosyth's shoulder and let his fingers curl around it. After a moment, Rosyth traced one of the scars along Daniel's shoulder and then followed the curve of his arm, finally stopping on his ring finger. Daniel laced their fingers together and held his hand to his cheek.

"I wish you would accept some token from me."

"I need nothing."

"I long to shower you with gifts though."

Daniel smiled at the slight whine in his voice. "When next Bel'rok comes, buy me a book and give us time alone for her to teach me to read it."

"Bah, the traders' tongue."

"It is easier for me to grasp than your language! I had to cheat to be able to understand it."

Rosyth angled his head up and kissed him. "You shall have all the books you wish and I will tolerate your learning."

"Oh, thank you." It was an effort not to roll his eyes.

"And you will allow me to pick out a pretty bauble or two for you."

"Something practical would be more to my liking."

"Clothes that aren't cast offs then."

Daniel pouted. In truth he did not mind wearing Rosyth's old clothes. They lent him an intimacy with the man, one he could wear all day long pressed against his skin.

* * *

Daniel still refused to be present while Rosyth worked on his abominations. If it bothered Rosyth, he no longer showed it. In the past his lips would thin or he would give great sighs when his invitations to the workroom were rebuffed. Now he did not even ask. Daniel rose as Rosyth did and approached him, fingers flying over his garments and setting them needlessly straight. "Do not stay over long. Join me for dinner."

"I get lost in my work, you know that. It is no comment on you or your many charms." A quick kiss to Daniel's temple, but it did not ease. He did often worry that Rosyth would soon tire of him. Not for the first time he wondered if Rosyth could somehow read him, ever so faintly.

"Just do not tarry. When the sun begins to sink, come back."

"You could fetch me when you grow lonely." Daniel repressed a shudder. "Send a servant then." His head shook in denial at that. Rosyth laughed. _Then give a poke, like so._ A brush of mental fingers against his mind and Daniel shuddered again, for different reasons.

"Stop that. You know I do not know how to-"

"You could learn if you were not so shy about it." Rosyth smiled; it did not reach his eyes. Another argument that had been heated at the beginning and then cooled into a stalemate.

"I am sorry."

"Then you have no other recourse but to wait until I come to you. Do not rebuke me for my lateness though."

"I will not." Daniel stepped away from the heat of the other man's body, turning to busy himself with the clothes he would wear this day.

He could feel Rosyth's eyes on him, the hesitation in the air a heavy feeling. But he left the room, leaving the silence unbroken. Daniel rested his head on the cool wood of the wardrobe and closed his eyes.

* * *

"I often wonder if he is ashamed to have taken me as a lover." Daniel bit his lip. The servant did not heed him, but continued her work on the flowers around the monument. "I do gather that he thinks of my race inferior to his own and I cannot help but think that this is just a dalliance to him. He never offers to show me more of this world. Even a ride in the desert! I tried to ask him once and it was as if the request had not been uttered at all."

Daniel pulled on a weed with more force than was necessary. "I begin to chaff at this…confinement."

The servant paused, black gauze wafting about her in the gentle breeze. Daniel was sure that it was not an invitation to go on-Rosyth had said often enough they could no longer reason-but he took it as such.

"In my…past I was an explorer, something called an archeologist. I would research ancient civilizations that were well past the memories of those living. To go to new places, to discover the secrets these ancients had left to us and which had been given up as lost…It was my one passion. I still have that spark within me." He touched his heart with a dirtied hand. "I thought it would have died with my rebirth. That I would hunger for stability and the sameness of all my days now, but…" His eyes grew distant. "I wake up sometimes in the night with this ache within me. I know not what it is. Perhaps it is a yearning for purpose, to feed this intellect within myself." He laughed and shook his head. "As simple as your employer might think me, I once was not so. I was very promising once upon a time. In my own world though. That might mean little here."

The servant turned her head towards him. Despite Rosyth's remarks that they were mere things that only moved upon command, Daniel could have sworn that she had been avoiding him since Rosyth started sharing his bed. The only time he would come across her was when she tended the garden and even then, if she spotted him, she would hurry with her tasks and flee. She also refused to lower her cowl and the scarves that hid her face. Had Rosyth forbade her from it? Was an order from her master the reason she no longer seemed to seek Daniel out as she had?

Her regard was upon him for a long moment and then she stood. Daniel's shoulders drooped. And now she would leave him as usual, the one companion besides Bel'rok whom he could actually say anything to…

She held out a hand to him. Daniel stared at it then slowly took it. Her grip was strong, almost painful, as she helped him to his feet. His leg locked up and he had to rub at it until it could move again. She waited patiently. When Daniel took a shuffling step towards her she turned and made for the door, making sure to keep her pace slow enough not to tax him.

Daniel followed her without question. It did give him pause though, her attention to his pace. If she were little more than a machine, then why would she care if he could keep up with her? There should not be enough within her to notice let alone care! She was making for the elevator and Daniel was relieved. With the weather turning cool, his injuries were not being kind and the thought of stairs was excruciating.

They rode until the device could rise no more. She opened the gate and held it for him. He thanked her out of ingrained habit though she did not acknowledge it. They were in the vast room filled with machines, the one Rosyth and he had gone to when the power had died so many months past. She weaved her way through the machines, their racket not causing her distress, though Daniel was forced to cover his ears.

There was a door at the far end of the room, one he had not even noticed that dreadful night. It was this that she approached and flung open. Steps dusty with disuse ascended to another door. Without looking back she held her hand out behind her. To help him up the stairs, he realized. Again, a small kindness she should not be capable of. Daniel took her hand, the coolness of her flesh no longer as horrifying as it used to be.

The door at the top was opened and the sunlight blinded him for a moment. They were outside? The wind that buffeted him seemed to attest so. He blindly let her lead him a few paces forward and then his vision cleared. Before him was the world.

They were at the very pinnacle of the castle, the desert spread out before them. So much space, so much emptiness made Daniel quell. Was this all there was to this world? An endless expanse of desert? Maybe that was the reason for Rosyth's refusal to talk of cities and towns. Perhaps there were none. He tried to put from him the thought that they might be the only two in this world save for Bel'rok's band. His clients! Yes! The reason Rosyth made those abominations, someone had to be out there somewhere to buy them. He had not thought to ever see the day where he would be thankful for Rosyth's gruesome work.

The servant walked to the very edge, a small waist high wall the only thing keeping her from stepping off into oblivion. She took off her scarves and lowered her cowl. Daniel approached her, beheld that her eyes were closed and her face tilted up, whether to the wind or the sun he could not guess.

"Do you like this place then?" Had she sensed that he was sad and had taken him to a place that gave her comfort? The thought that she would need comfort made him feel sick. She turned slightly to him, black eyes glinting, and extended a long arm, pointing at something in the distance. Daniel held a hand up against the glare of the sun and squinted. A building among the sands? An old one from the looks of it. A ruin. He lowered his hand and spun around to face her. Their conversation in the garden, she had comprehended him!

"You do understand me! Are the others like you then or are you somehow singular?" The thought that she alone had fought to retain her soul through death and the hellish process that had awaited her afterwards… Daniel could not bear it. She turned back to the ruin she had pointed out and lowered her arm.

"There is nothing singular about it. It is sensing your mind, giving you what you wish for it to give you. Are you so very lonely, despite having me?"

Daniel did not face Rosyth, did not take his eyes from the ruins. His heart constricted painfully in his chest though. "But…"

"You have no defenses up, my love. Any creature with a small talent for empathy could pick up your emotions. It is something that my creations had been built to do, to know their masters' wishes before they themselves have realized them."

Daniel wrapped his arms around himself and blamed the biting wind for the tears that stung his eyes.

"If you would only take my advice and learn to use your mental gifts, mishaps like this would not-"

"Why did you follow me? Why are you here?" He turned then to Rosyth, his anger causing his face to flush.

Rosyth seemed taken aback, the hand he had been stretching out to Daniel halted. "It is lunch time and I missed you. You were not in your room, so…"

"And how did you know I was here?" He glanced at the servant who was still staring out at the horizon, face impassive. Could Rosyth somehow sense what she did, that his creation had been with Daniel?

"I told you." Rosyth tapped his temple. "You leak."

"I…see."

"I have disappointed you. I did not mean to hurt you."

"I just thought…It was nice to think that someone cared for me."

"I care for you!"

"Someone else I mean."

Rosyth gestured and the servant turned and came towards him. He rolled up her voluminous sleeve with a harsh jerk and bade her hold it in place. Daniel had not noticed the syringe he had been holding until he plunged the needle into her fair arm. Daniel cried out, stepped forward to prevent the abuse, but by the time he had his hand on Rosyth's wrist the luminous green liquid was in her veins.

"What in hell was that?"

"Maintenance. Take this and leave us." He gave the servant the emptied needle. She tucked it in her robes and left them.

"That was horrible!" Daniel was shaking and cursed himself; he wondered if there would be a time he did not always tremble so.

"I did not mean to alarm you." Rosyth had an arm around him and was turning him so his own body shielded Daniel's from the wind. "It is something that must be done from time to time and it was past due."

"I hate this. I hate it!" His fingers clawed in Rosyth's shirt.

"I know, my love, I do know. I am so thankful that you endure me."

"Cannot you quit this work? Let us just build machines and curiosities, fix those which have broken…"

"That is not possible. I wish that it were."

"Why not?" Daniel pulled back to see his face.

"Because I am the only one who can provide the empire with this service and if I were to refuse to do it, why…I would be put to death and you would be in the bed of some other lordling." The thought of his theoretical demise did not seem to concern him. He kissed Daniel on the brow and tried to lead him back inside. Daniel pulled away and walked to the parapet.

"That is dreadful."

"Dreadful this, horrible that. Do you not grow tired of being in a state of constant fear?"

Daniel gave him a look.

"My apologies. I was attempting a jest."

"You really have no talent for humor."

Arms wrapped around him and pulled him against Rosyth's body. "Let's not fight. Let's go back to our room, eat our lunch and let me demonstrate how sorry I am." He nuzzled the fine hair at Daniel's temple. Daniel elbowed him in the ribs and moved a few paces from him. "My patience is wearing thin, my heart. Get over your sulk and come inside."

"I am not one of your servants to follow your bidding without thought. Would you have me be?" That thought was unpleasant. If anything were to happen to Daniel, if through misfortune or illness he were to die, would Rosyth gain another servant?

"Do not be disgusting."

"It would be an easy thing though. You would have my body and not this will that annoys you so." He gestured at his head.

"And it was that annoying will of yours that drew me to you. As comely as your body is, without your mind and that prickly temper, I would not be interested in the least."

Daniel paused in the tirade he was mentally constructing. "Truly?"

"Truly." Rosyth took a cautious step towards him, hands held up as if in surrender.

"I do not believe you."

"Oh?"

"Before we could understand each other-"

"I said your spirit drew me to you, my gift. I did not need to understand your prattling to see your personality and your worth. Was it not the same with me?"

Daniel remembered the kindness of Rosyth tending to him in his delirium, his patience, albeit strained, with his confusion and frights. He nodded, not trusting his voice.

Rosyth smiled and reached for him. Daniel went into his arms without protest; let himself be pressed into that body he was growing to know so well. "Honestly I do not know what you see in me."

"I would show you if you let me."

Daniel shook his head and hid his face in Rosyth's shirt.

Rosyth laughed, stroking the back of Daniel's neck, cupping a strong hand over the exposed nape. "This would be your answer. That you can show me this side of yourself, your…vulnerability."

"I do not understand."

"You don't have to. Come away now."

But still Daniel held back. "Could I ask you for something? A present of sorts?"

Rosyth did not let go of his arm and raised an eyebrow. "You ask me for so little. If it is within my power, you may have it."

"Take me there." Daniel pointed at the ruins. "I want to see it."

"Whatever for?"

"I just want to." As much as he had explained his previous profession to his lover it seemed he was lacking the intuitiveness of their servant. It annoyed him. "I am curious of it."

"It is nothing but sand worn stones."

"You said you wanted to give me presents. I do not wish for jewels or clothes or anything else, but if you take me there," he again pointed at the building, "it would be as if you had wrapped a diamond collar 'round my neck."

"You do have a pretty way with words." Rosyth glared at the building as if affronted by it. "Fine, I will take you there on the morrow."

"Thank you." Daniel smiled.

* * *

"How do you make them?"

"How do I make what?" Rosyth was undressing, fingers flying over the complicated knots that affixed his garment to him. Daniel was stretched out on the bed, an arm underneath his head and a robe around his still too thin figure, watching Rosyth about to join him.

"The servants. How do you make them?"

Rosyth's hands halted. "I would think the matter would be of little interest to you."

"I just…wonder."

Rosyth smirked. In a quick motion he had lunged at Daniel, pulling him to his feet and positioning him in front of the mirror. "What are you-"

"Shhh." Rosyth unfastened the robe, pulled it from Daniel's shoulders and let it fall to the ground. "First is to take out all the things that are prone to decay: organs, blood, so on." With a finger he traced a cut from Daniel's sternum to his pelvic bone. Daniel gulped. "Next I put a preserving agent in its veins, to keep the flesh fresh." He pulled Daniel's arm up and kissed the delicate skin in the the bend of his elbow. Daniel remembered the needle that had plunged into his servant's arm. "Now because muscle will wither we need to put a support structure within the body, metal rods. So I cut and insert them here," His fingers moved across Daniel's chest, "here", kisses down his spine, "and if the customer wishes to have one for pleasure…" A finger down his pelvis, along his- Daniel twisted to meet Rosyth's eyes.

"You cannot be serious! People would want to lay with such things?"

"You have no idea how debauched this world can be." He said it with a certain coolness. It eased something in Daniel, that he did not seem to approve of the practice. It still did not stop him from making the damned things though.

"Why would anyone want to…with a corpse?"

"You are so innocent at times." Rosyth's lips skimmed his brow. Daniel drew away and he frowned. "Do not think of it as an act of love. Does that help put it in perspective?"

"No, it does not."

Rosyth closed his eyes. "My kind is vindictive, darling. I hope you never have to see how cruel we can be. What better punishment for a foe, to kill their wife or husband and then…"

"Oh God."

The smile Rosyth gave him was mirthless. "Or worse, have your foe realize what will become of them if they should fall to you in battle. An eternity as your servant, your plaything."

"How can you-"

"If I don't, I will be executed. The only reason I am alive is because I was clever enough and skilled enough to prove to the emperor that I had a use. This is the last time we will discuss this."

Daniel nodded, eyes wide. "The servants in this keep…"

Rosyth burst out into laughter. "My first experiments. Corpses I bought from a battlefield, I knew them not in life and bore them no grudge. And before you ask the next indecent question I see in your eyes, do you really think me capable of that?"

Daniel shook his head quickly.

"Good. Now let us to bed. I am tired of a sudden."

"Rosyth?" Daniel asked as he slid next to his lover, letting the blankets be pulled up to his chin and himself arranged to better fit against the other's body.

"Yes?"

"Will I ever get to meet more of your kind?"

"The Dread Ones willing, no." The arms around him tightened, almost possessively. "You are mine and I will keep it so, even if I must keep you locked up in this castle."

"Like a princess in a fairytale," Daniel mumbled. If Rosyth heard him, he made no comment. "What makes you think that they would be interested in me as you are?"

Rosyth took his hand and held it in his own, watching the faint tremor that always afflicted him. "They could not help but be charmed by you," was his sole reply.

* * *

Daniel woke from a vague dream, the unwholesomeness of it still clinging to him upon waking. Rosyth was fast asleep still, long hair obscuring his face. Daniel brushed it from his cheek. Rosyth's description of his people went with the image of them that Daniel had constructed around the type of being Alexander was. Thank goodness the predilection for taking delight in suffering had skipped the son.

Daniel got out of the bed and stretched. He picked up his robe from the floor and fastened it around himself as he ventured into the garden. He needed to think, to calm himself. On instinct he went to the monument and then wondered if it had been instinct at all. Before it the servant stood as if waiting for him.

Could that mental leaking work both ways? If she responded to his needs, did he in turn pick up on hers? "You are up late."

She gave that half bow, half curtsey. "Could you not sleep as well? Do you sleep?"

Her hand pressed against the bend of her elbow where her injection had been.

"I know what Rosyth has told me about you, but I still would like to call you friend, if I may." He held out his hand to her, jumped when she actually took it. He sat before their monument and pulled her down to sit beside him. "I must have a name to call you though, friends cannot think of each other as servant and master. May I name you?" She gave no indication that she minded. A name rose to his lips but he pushed it back. "Maria. I think you look like a Maria." A head tilt at that. He could not tell if she was considering it or accepting it. "And if you can think of me, you must think of me as-"

She pulled her hand from his and rose. Daniel followed suit, hurt that she did not want to know his name. "Maria?" She turned and bowed. He smiled, overjoyed that she would condescend to answer to it. Damn what Rosyth said, he would think of this woman as his friend, even if in the end it was on par to having an imaginary one. And only in his head he would admit that he thought of her, not as a Maria, but as a Hazel.


	16. Chapter 16

Daniel pondered if his former self had ever gone on school excursions as a boy and, if so, had the night before felt like this. He had spent the night tossing and turning to such an extent that Rosyth had roused long enough to growl a complaint and then wrapped him tightly in his arms so he could no longer move. It felt like a line of sparks was traveling along his veins and his heart kept beating a rhythm more merry than its want. Think of it, ruins! He hoped his skills as an archeologist were only slumbering and that upon seeing an ancient mystery they would stir and cast off the rust that had gathered upon them from disuse.

Of course, as it always did, thoughts of ruins and archeology brought back the dim memories of the former Daniel's last expedition. He frowned and shifted as much as he was able to lay his cheek against Rosyth's breast. His heartbeat retained its fast pace, but now for an entirely different reason. There are no Shadows here, he told himself firmly. He had left that behind in his own world where it had given him one final snap at his heels as he tumbled into the gate. This world had its darkness, it had spawned both he and the former Daniel's enemy after all, but this darkness was of flesh and blood and thus one could fight it. Or as Daniel preferred to do, flee from it. And he did not have to fight alone now. That thought made him smile. He gave Rosyth's back a long sensuous scratch, from shoulder blades to tail bone and then settled against the man. Sleep would not be long in coming now.

* * *

Daniel eyed the "horse" as the "horse" eyed him back. "Do you not have something more…conventional?"

Rosyth looked up from the tack he was sorting, a bridle in one hand, a hoof pick in the other. "Whatever do you mean?"

Daniel shook his head and mumbled, "Nothing."

The…beast of burden was even more horrible than Daniel's hazy memories had suggested. The horns on its head looked wicked sharp, its eyes seemed to have a reddish cast to them and when it bit off a scrap of wood from its stall to chew, it revealed sharp teeth. "Can I…Can I touch it?"

Rosyth snorted. "Of course you can. Scratch it between its eyes. It likes that."

Daniel wondered at the "it". If he ever had owned an animal he was sure he would have referred to it by its gender, he…she… He placed a finger on the spot Rosyth had suggested. The creature immediately fell still. Was the light in its eyes more unholy than usual? It was surprisingly warm to the touch, like a small furnace. Daniel scraped his fingernail against its thin fur ever so lightly. The creature's eyes half closed and it emitted a sound not unlike a whicker.

Daniel scratched it again, emboldened by the lack of a bite. When he stopped, the creature nudged his hand, politely begging for more attention. "What a surprisingly sweet natured creature." Daniel gave in and resumed his petting of it. "What is his name? Her name?"

"Name?" Rosyth looked up yet again, his brow creased in puzzlement.

"No matter. Do you need help with anything?"

"Keep it occupied while I saddle it up. There are some treats for it in that bucket just out of its reach. You may give it two or three to keep it calm. It does not like this task too much."

Daniel took out a handful and picked up one between his thumb and forefinger. It looked like one of the treats Bel'rok gave to him on her visits. A long black tongue shot out and lapped it from his grasp. Daniel stared at the creature in shock.

"I forgot to warn you need to keep a tight hold on them." Rosyth smirked as he threw a heavy blanket over the creature's back. Its ears flattened against its skull. Daniel hurried to sooth it by rubbing the curious ridge over its eye. He fed it another treat right as Rosyth threw the saddle on. It stamped its foot in consternation.

Its ears were soft and the fur pleasant as he stroked them. "Do not fuss so. It will be over soon," he murmured to it. "We get to go on an adventure today! Surely that makes a bit of annoyance at the start tolerable."

Rosyth chuckled.

"What?" Daniel asked, watching him tighten the straps around the creature's girth. When he was finished, he straightened and stretched.

Reaching out, he chucked Daniel under the chin. "You are a sweet natured creature yourself."

Daniel harrumphed and jerked away, causing Rosyth to laugh even more. "And an overly skittish one as well. Let me tie the bags to it and we will be off."

"Do we really need so much baggage?"

"The ride is longer than it looks and we will need to eat. At least I will." He gave a pointed glance at Daniel's skinny frame.

"I eat enough." Still, he crossed him arms and turned away. He had put on some weight since his recovery, but still not enough to look wholesome. He could not remember how hale the other Daniel had been before his misfortunes. Perhaps this was his normal, though he would prefer his cheeks to not be so hollow.

"I would have you eat more, but I am often overly concerned when it comes to matters of you." He fastened the last strap with a flourish. Taking hold of the reins in one hand he skillfully vaunted into the saddle. Once settled, he extended a hand to Daniel.

"You must be joking!"

"Do you see any other mounts in this stable?"

Though there were other stalls, this "horse" was the only one that called this place home. "Cannot I walk?"

"Riding before me did not prick your dignity when you first arrived here."

"I was half out of my mind with pain and delirium," he snapped, but took the hand none the less. He knew when there was no way to win an argument. He was more awkward than Rosyth when he mounted and would not have been able to accomplish it without Rosyth's help. He huffed as Rosyth put an arm around his waist and steered the "horse" with the other.

"I think this a pleasant way to travel myself," he murmured in Daniel's ear, squeezing the other man slightly. Daniel elbowed him.

* * *

The sway of the horse and Rosyth's arms around him lulled him into a doze. He would stir every now and then when Rosyth murmured some endearment against his hair or the hand on his waist began to drift, but once he had placed it back in a respectable place, his eyes would fall shut again.

The next time he was roused he at once noted that the horse had stopped. "Lunch?" he asked, yawning.

Rosyth laughed. "No, my love. We are here. I expected you to spend the whole trip bouncing in your seat like a child."

"I did not sleep well last night." Daniel's eyes flew open and he gaped up at the mammoth structure. It had a certain beauty in its decay. It looked as if it had been carved from an outcropping of rock, for the bottom of it had an unfinished look to it. Stubborn lichens clung to it and a lizard darted out of one crevasse to enter another. As the rock rose higher, the more smooth it got until it was a building proper. Huge open doorways and windows dotted it, glassless and open to the elements.

"Do you think glass ever stood in them?" he wondered out loud.

"I doubt they knew how to make such things," Rosyth said, his tone bored.

Daniel doubted that. Any civilization that could carve such a breathtaking building from rock itself could learn how to make glass from the sand that surrounded them. "Let me down, I wish to-"

"And you will. We will. Just let me dismount first so I can better help you." He nimbly slipped from behind Daniel and onto the sand. With his hands on Daniel's waist he lifted the other man off the horse, setting him down before him and not immediately stepping away.

"Thank you." Daniel looked up at him and smiled. Whatever foul mood that had seemed to have descended upon Rosyth on their ride eased slightly.

"Anything for you." He looped the reins around his forearm, leading the horse to the ruins. Daniel had hold of his free hand, the sand just as treacherous dry as it had been wet. Not for the first time, he wished his leg had healed correct. "You can ride the horse up to the stairs," Rosyth suggested.

Daniel shook his head. "I can manage." One of the lizards that lived in the rock poked out its head to study them. Its heads, Daniel corrected, for it had two. It hissed at them, long plumes of steam coming from its gullet. Daniel moved closer to Rosyth until their thighs brushed.

"You really are a skittish thing." The smile in his voice evident.

Daniel chose not to retort, instead focusing on not straying closer to the lizard's home. This close he saw that there were huge steps set in the rock. "Oh dear." Stairs were really not kind to him and by how high he would have to step to climb them, he would be very out of sorts by the time he reached the top.

"I planned on carrying you."

"I could get back on the horse."

"The horse needs to attend to its own climb." A blur over the word horse as it was translated into what its name in this world was. Rosyth took off its bridle and bit. With a smack of his hand against its flank the horse lurched forward and nimbly vaunted from step to step. Daniel tried not to be jealous.

Their ascent was more arduous. Despite his initial eagerness to bear Daniel in his arms, Rosyth was winded by the time they reached the final step. He put Daniel back on his feet hurriedly and leaned against the small wall that had been carved around the entry.

"There is grass here in the shade!" Daniel crouched to examine it, his fingers brushing the blades. They had a reddish tint to them, almost the same color as the sand that surrounded them.

"There is more inside as well. A small reminder of what this land looked like a millennium ago." He wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand.

"This all used to be grassland?"

"In the time of my father's father's father, yes." Daniel frowned at the math of it. How long lived were Rosyth's folk? Perhaps it was a set expression…

"What happened?"

"There was a war. Some sort of ancient machine backfired and…" He held out his hands to the devastation before them. Daniel looked at the shifting sands and the loneliness that radiated from them.

"How-"

"Dreadful?" Rosyth supplied, shooting him a grin. Daniel bristled. He did not use the word that much! "Perhaps, but my family inherited the lot because of it. And we have kept it through the centuries on account of no one wanting this gods' forsaken place."

Daniel shaded his eyes to look back at their home, a long sinister silhouette against the blue of the sky. Though he could understand why no one would want the place, the thought made him sad. There was still beauty in these lands, still things that called it home, and the castle itself was a place of wonders…And Rosyth called it home and clearly loved it. That alone was enough to make Daniel care for it.

"Come, let us see the inside. I assume you will find it even more fascinating." Daniel forgot about asking Rosyth further questions on his family's history and hurried to follow him inside.

Inside was empty save for tall pillars that stood guard around a raised dais. The portion of the roof had collapsed and sunlight streamed in to set the white altar upon it a light. A perfect circle of the red grass surrounded the space between the columns and the first step up the dais.

"Did this used to be a place of worship?" Wonder tinged Daniel's voice and he took a step towards the altar, mesmerized.

Rosyth did not answer, but his eyes flicked from the columns to the altar, disinterested. Daniel put a hand on the nearest pillar, the stone warm beneath his palm. There were carvings on it. They reminded him of the wrought iron displays across the windows of their home, the ones with an almost religious tone to them. These were a bit more stylized and seemed to have more symbols to relay the meaning of the scene. There was a tongue of flame in the sky of this one. A woman with wings-not like an angel's or a demon's but some strange merging of the two- watched it with concern on her round face. A winged throng bowed before her, raising their taloned hands up as if in supplication.

He drifted to another. It featured almost the same tableau as the window in the room with Rosyth's family portrait. Here though it seemed that the creator of this work took a different view. The beings above were not so much indifferent as suffering from their inability to help those trapped below them, winged creatures again, who looked up at the sky with such yearning that Daniel had to wonder if their wings were mere decoration. Were they meant to have been cast down from the heavens? Those who dwelt below were still…unwholesome, even more so as they were depicted here. Still pretty, yes, but the cruelty on their faces was exaggerated. Sharp teeth and claws glinted from behind smiles and long elegant sleeves. They were seated at a feast below the world, a feast of… Daniel reeled back, disgusted.

"A bit sacrilegious, that. I found it tantalizing in my youth, but all things forbidden are intriguing when one is young."

Daniel clutched his arm until the world quit its swaying. "Are these your gods then? Which ones?"

"Which do you think?" Daniel let go of him as if he were burned.

He took a step towards the altar, not caring to see any more of the disturbing carvings. The sunlight streamed down upon it, the white of the stone dazzling. He put a hand on it, almost afraid a bolt of lightning would come from the heavens to strike him down. Thin vines grew along its sides, a darker red than the grass. There were no pictures on the altar, but there were symbols set in arcane designs. "They did not sacrifice…things, did they?"

Rosyth laughed. "I think not."

Despite the depictions on the columns the place did exude a sense of peace. Daniel could not imagine any violence occurring in this hallowed room. He glanced up at the hole in the ceiling and then at the sands that stretched out as far as the eye could see. Something had happened here though, once upon a time. Something dreadful. "Your father's father's father," he repeated under his breath.

A loud sound echoed through the chamber and Daniel clutched the side of the altar, almost vaulting upon it. The jangle of metal and when he turned he saw it was their steed, finally grown curious enough to check up on his riders. Rosyth clucked at it, and it trotted over. Rosyth stroked its neck and then began to unfasten its burdens. Daniel's stomach gave a growl. He had quite forgotten about lunch!

"Let me help you." But Rosyth waved him away.

"Continue your explorations; I will set up our lunch. I thought you might have wanted this though, so I took the liberty of packing it." He held out Daniel's journal.

"I had forgotten all about it!" Daniel took it from him, eagerly flipping through the pages. Various sketches of the flowers in the garden, one glum drawing of Maria before he had learnt her true face, and the portraits of Rosyth and himself. He lingered over the one Rosyth had drawn of him, stroking a finger down his own cheek.

"And your pencil." Pencil was another blurred word, but Daniel paid it no heed. He plucked it from Rosyth's hand and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Enjoy yourself."

Daniel smiled and trotted over to the farthest column. Was it some sort of creation myth? Again the creatures above and below were present but betwixt them was chaos, an explosion of abstract shapes and almost forms. Again the gods above looked sad, while those below looked eager, lascivious. He did not wish to draw that!

Something beyond caught his eye. On one of the walls between the huge openings to the outside was another carving. This one was beautiful and peaceful, befitting a sanctuary. In the middle was a flower not unlike a rose, and from it an array of symbols spiraled out around it. Pictures too, he discovered, tracing the carving of two creatures walking hand in hand, obviously in love, judging by their doting glances. The man was horned and the…woman? She was slighter than the man but there were no obvious characteristics to make her decidedly female. Daniel decided to go with 'she'. She had wings as the other carvings did, but these were shriveled and twisted. She must have been in a dreadful accident, not that she seemed to mind any longer.

Another small carving around the rose was of a bird, wings outstretched each feather a sword. "Do birds really have teeth in this world?"

"Don't yours?"

Daniel chose not to reply to that. He trailed a hand along the carving, picked out a small weed that had decided to grow in a crack. "The columns seem more recent than the rest of the structure."

Rosyth made a sound to show he had heard. Daniel closed his eyes and sighed. He supposed that one did not have to share every interest one's partner had, but still… Smells of food cooking made him forget his annoyance and he turned. "Is lunch ready?"

"Soon enough." Rosyth had built a small fire. Instead of wood he appeared to be using rocks that glowed from within. Daniel was relieved that he had built it on the stone and not the grass. There was a pot over it and Daniel could hear the liquid inside simmering.

"It smells divine."

"Not as good as the fare you will find at home."

"I think you shall be an admirable cook." Daniel sat down next to him and rested his head on Rosyth's shoulder.

"You flatter me over much." But Rosyth smiled when he said it and as soon as he was done stirring the stew, his arm found its way around Daniel's shoulders. "I brought some Oo-luk as well. I thought we could have a kettle after we eat."

Daniel played with a strand of his hair. "I would like that very much. This place is so peaceful, if not a tad melancholy." He noticed the rest of the supplies that Rosyth had unpacked. "How long did you think we should be gone? You have enough here for a week!"

"A night and our morning. I thought we could spend the night."

Daniel's smile dimmed as he looked at the strange kindling of their fire; it did not give off that much light.

"I'll build a proper fire come nightfall and the moon is to be full tonight." He brought Daniel's hand up to his lips and kissed the back of it. "I know you were getting restless and I thought… We do not have to if you do not wish it."

"Is it…safe?" Daniel remembered the head of the dragon-like creature Rosyth had presented him with when they were still wooing one another. The dark would be bad enough, encountering that kind of creature while in the dark…

"Safe enough. I'll put up wards and our steed," he gestured at the horse with its cruel horns, "is surprisingly protective."

Daniel snuggled back against him. "And you will be with me."

"Never fear of that. I will always be at your side, protecting you." If anything deserved a long lingering kiss, it was that.

* * *

What little Rosyth knew of the place, he was taciturn about. He spent most of the day either dozing or watching Daniel flit about. Daniel sketched bits and pieces of the carvings and jotted down quick notes. He planned to ask Bel'rok the next she came and see if she could be more illuminating than Rosyth was.

When the sun began to sink, Rosyth was true to his word and a proper fire was made, its light bathing the white stone in a cheery glow. Rosyth threw on an item that must have been some sort of skillet and laid out slices of meat upon it. A flash of Algeria came to his mind, of watching Herbert made dinner in just this way. He had to turn his head away and shake it. He did not want to remember what had become of his old mentor.

"Where did your fear for the dark come from?" Rosyth asked. Daniel leaned back against his chest and sipped his Oo-luk. Rosyth took it from him and also took a drink.

"It is peculiar that you were so attentive to everything else, but then forgot to pack more than one of each utensil."

"Do not change the subject."

Daniel pouted and turned so his cheek was against Rosyth's chest. "I do not really remember. I think it stems from my childhood. Some sort of punishment my father inflicted upon me. He was overly fond of punishments."

Rosyth lightly stroked his back. Daniel stood up and Rosyth's hands trailed down his body. He walked over to one of the many entrances and stared out at the desert. Rosyth had been right, the moon had risen full and everything was painted in silver. He held out his hand and watched how the moonlight leeched every bit of color from him. His hand closed into a fist and he let it fall to his side.

A grating sound, rock on rock, from behind. Daniel turned. Rosyth was by a section of the wall and had pulled out a hidden drawer. "What are you doing?"

"Getting out our sleeping pallets. Bring the bedrolls." Daniel complied.

"The ancients still have sleeping pallets that are usable?"

Rosyth shook his head. "I brought them here when I was a lad. There were times that it was more tolerable to sleep here than-" he jerked his chin at the castle.

"I am sorry."

"It is in the past and it proves handy now." A mat, not a very wide one, of weaved grass was thrown on the floor and then dragged over to the fire. Daniel helped spread out the furs but when Rosyth tried to draw him down upon them he pulled away and walked back to watch the moonlit dunes.

"Do not brood on me. Like I said, it was a long long time ago."

"Your family must have been horrid." He winced at another word he was in the habit of using too often.

"They were overly troublesome at times." Fingers plucked at Daniel's sashes and he realized they were being untied.

"Why did you laugh when I said your father was a genius like you?"

The last sash slid across his chest and was thrown to the ground. A hand on his shoulder turned him, but he would not meet Rosyth's eyes until the other man cupped his chin and raised his face. "I have been meaning to address this for a while, but the time never seemed right." He studied Daniel's face, his eyes worried. "I am not saying that one of my kind has not caused you grievous wrong. I can see the marks of our own unique kind of cruelty upon you, but for it being my father…" He frowned slightly. "I do not think it possible."

"How can you say that for sure? The picture that hangs in your parlor-"

"Could be of anyone of my kind. To other species we do seem alike, or so I am told."

"But you have the same skills! Your gift for mechanics and anatomy…"

"Were self taught. The only skills my father had were drinking, driving up debts and bedding our mother."

Daniel tried to turn away, but Rosyth held his cheeks and forced him to look. "I was a precocious child and was born into a family that had too many children, something rare among our kind. I began tinkering with machines, I needed to learn a trade and since the castle was in a constant state of disrepair, I thought it would be a valued ability. The more invaluable I was, the least likely to find myself with a blade sliding across my throat."

"So your father…?"

"Was a dunce who only clung to his title by the noble feats of his father." He glanced to the side, at their home, a tall shadow in the distance. "He never loved it as I do. None of them did."

"But your father, your family, what happened to them?"

"I told you, or tried to, they died. A long time ago."

"Even your father?"

Rosyth's smile turned grim. "I have been sure of nothing more."

"Did he not…disappear? Or was ever exiled?"

"How I wish." He undid a fastening on Daniel's sleeve and pulled the shirt over his head.

Daniel shivered in the night air and in the light of the revelations that Rosyth had just thrown at him. The fact that Rosyth did not think his father capable of what had been wrought in Brennenberg did not comfort him. Either Rosyth misjudged his father and Alexander was indeed dead at last or…he was a man separate from the man in the portrait and really was out there somewhere, searching. Would he really search for Daniel though? Perhaps it was a misplaced sense of self importance that made Daniel think so. If he had finally come home after centuries gone, parted from the bride he seemed to have loved so passionately, would he then depart to look for a small, insignificant human that may have followed him or may have died?

His trousers followed his shirt. Rosyth fingers skimmed over his skin. "To bed now?" His voice was a low rumble. Whatever sad memories thoughts of his father had stirred, they seemed to have been dispelled by the sight of Daniel. His hand rested on Daniel's hip, thumb tracing the hollow of the bone.

"You seem over dressed for it," Daniel teased, stepping back and out of reach. He had not realized how chill the air truly was until he had the fire before him, the furs over him, and soon Rosyth behind. Rosyth ran a calloused palm down Daniel's spine and made a small tsking sound.

"I am not as receptive as you are there."

"I know. But there are other places I have come to learn." He caressed said places and Daniel bit his lip. He twisted around and straddled the other man, the furs falling to his hips. Rosyth was quick to hold his waist, to keep him in place.

"Thank you. For today." He moved slightly and he smiled as Rosyth's eyes fell shut. "You will take me back here again."

"I will do anything for you." His voice was breathy and rang a bit too zealous. Anything…Alexander had probably promised his love anything. The hands on his waist drifted down to his hips and held him still. "May I ask you one thing though?"

Daniel's breath caught in his throat. He hoped his face did not reveal his burst of panic. Not trusting his voice he nodded. "Do you truly not remember your name? I want to call you something. I need to call you something."

It was on his tongue to tell him, to let his name drop off and with it his whole sordid tale. But with it would come the shame and the guilt, most of it not even truly his! And what if Rosyth looked at him afterwards as Daniel had looked at Alexander when they had finally met in those hellish depths? So, he swallowed his confession and leaned over, hair tickling Rosyth's chest, his face, to part his lips with his own.

* * *

Rosyth stirred the fire higher then fell back down on Daniel, who grunted at the sudden weight. "You never answered my question," he admonished, brushing the tip of Daniel's nose with his own.

"I cannot remember it. Truly." He fervently hoped that his "mental leaking" did not convey when he lied. "But you may give me a name, if you want."

Rosyth grumbled and rolled off him. "I don't think there is any name in my language that would fit you." He stroked Daniel's hair, brushed over his eyelids with the pads of his fingers. "You are too exotic for me to clumsily put a name to."

"I am…I am rather plain in all honestly…"

Rosyth snorted and threw and arm around him. "Maybe you will remember it in time." Daniel's hand ran down Rosyth's side until his fingers reached the edge of the scar across his side.

"I think some things are best forgotten though."

Rosyth nipped his earlobe. "I cannot name you as if you were my pet."

It made a small glow kindle within Daniel, for there were times he did fear that Rosyth regarded him as such.

"Then call me a nickname. Something we only share, as I call you Rosyth even though that is not your true name."

Rosyth was silent for a long time, so long that Daniel turned around to the fire and had begun to fall asleep when his hand was interlaced with Rosyth's. He whispered a name into Daniel's hair and Daniel thought to tell him that with their connection he could only hear the translation for the name and not the name itself, but sleep beckoned and pulled him down into her embrace. "Gift," had been the word Rosyth had murmured. His gift.

* * *

Daniel awoke to the cold light of dawn and the ashes of their campfire. Rosyth was not under the furs with him and he quickly scanned around for the other man. Not seeing him and getting a bit worried, he wrapped the fur blanket around his shivering frame and set out to search for him.

It was frightfully cold this time of day. He was surprised that Rosyth had allowed their fire to die down, as doting as he was when it came to Daniel's health… He spotted Rosyth at the top step leading down from the ruin. He had pulled on his trousers but nothing more. His back was a long straight line and with his exterior spine, he seemed to be bristling, not unlike a cat that had scented a dog.

"Darling, is everything all right?" Daniel asked padding over to him.

Rosyth half turned, eyes darting up and down Daniel's form. "You look too fetching with nothing but a blanket wrapped around you."

Daniel could tell that his heart was not really in the compliment and his worry increased. "Rosyth, tell me. Has something happened?"

"You have wondered at my kind before. Well, it looks like you shall get your chance to meet another." He smiled, more a baring of teeth.

"I do not understand. Was there some sort of messenger-"

"My kind has no need for messengers." He ran his hand through his disheveled hair. "We are always a mental shout away from one another."

"And who is to call on us?"

Rosyth gave a genuine smile at that, perhaps charmed by Daniel's use of 'us'. He took Daniel by the waist and pulled him close. "My cousin, my love. And a more odious specimen you would not hope to meet."


	17. Chapter 17

The castle was crawling with servants when they returned home. Daniel supposed that Rosyth must have sent some mental command ahead, ordering them to arrange things for the visit of his cousin. Apparently Rosyth was very keen on making a good impression. "How many days do we have before we must expect him?" Daniel asked after Rosyth saw him to their room.

Rosyth blinked, coming back to himself. He had spent the whole ride brooding and mumbling to himself lists of things he would have to see to. Daniel was a bit put out that he could be so easily forgotten though his hand was resting on the man's arm. "On the morrow. The bastard had wanted to come today."

"So soon!" Trepidation stirred Daniel's nerves. He had not yet figured out how he felt exactly about the announcement that not only was he meeting more of Rosyth's kind, but also his kin. He had hoped to have a few days to come to terms with himself and to better compose his thoughts. "Whatever will he think of me?" He brushed off the sand that still clung to his garments and again berated himself for not looking as healthful as he should.

Rosyth's face fell into a glower. "I am sure it does not matter what he thinks of you. Just try to stay out of his way and I will endeavor to do the same."

"Will you… You will present me to him, will you not?"

Rosyth huffed. "I will have no choice but to."

"And you will present me as…as your…friend?" Daniel floundered for the right word.

Something flashed in Rosyth's eyes and Daniel wondered if it was anger. "Do you wish me to say that you are only that?"

"I do not know what decency will allow us to admit to! Do not get angry at me, I am feeling around in the dark here. I have no idea as to your social customs or ways and I do not wish him to think ill of me."

"I told you it does not matter what he thinks of you."

"It matters because it reflects upon you!" Daniel said in a rush and then flushed. "I am… We are…" He lightly touched Rosyth's wrist. "We are together now. When we interact with the world we are no longer individuals but the sum of what we share. I do not wish to tarnish-"

"And how could you possibly tarnish anything of my reputation?" Daniel gasped as Rosyth took him up into his arms and kissed him soundly. "If anything, it is the opposite; being able to claim one such as you as my lover might improve even my standing."

Daniel could only modestly complain that there was nothing so spectacular about his person until Rosyth distracted him with more pleasurable activities.

Daniel could hardly sleep that night and when he woke on the morrow, the light from the garden showed it to be well past mid-morning. He groaned and covered his head with his pillow. Of course Rosyth would choose today to allow him to sleep in. A tunic had been laid out for him along with his breakfast. He picked up a cup of Oo-luk with one hand and the tunic with the other. It was the ornate one that Rosyth had made him don when he had made a present out of this very room. Daniel frowned down at it. If he remembered correctly it was one of those that needed Rosyth's assistance to get on. That was right, it had those damnable ties in the back. Daniel sighed and tossed it back across the chair. Hopefully Rosyth would be on his way back to help him dress or else he would have to manage by himself.

An hour seemed to have past and still no sign of Rosyth. Daniel picked at his cold food. Maybe he could help out with the preparations. He would go mad if he was forced to lounge around in his chamber until Rosyth deigned to put in an appearance. He held up the dress tunic, studied it, and then tossed it aside. If he were going to help with the chores he did not want to dirty it. He selected a green shirt and some trousers, throwing them on haphazardly. The shirt billowed around him, making him look like a child borrowing an older brother's clothes. He quickly snatched a sash and looped it around himself a few times. Not as fancy as Rosyth usually tied it, but it did the trick, defining his shape a bit more. Though now one could see how thin he really was… Daniel could not seem to win.

After wandering aimlessly through the halls for half an hour, Daniel realized that there was a flaw in his plan: there was no way of knowing where Rosyth was or of finding out. He poked his head into the gardens, the workshop, he even explored the wing where his guest room had been. No sign of Rosyth anywhere. And no sign of a servant. "How odd," he said to himself. It seemed that whenever he was lost or was in some form of distress Maria would materialize out of nowhere to help him. He had only noticed how frequently she came to his aid the one time she did not. Did Rosyth's cousin take offense at the undead servants? If so, Daniel would like him immediately.

"This is getting us nowhere." He stopped and leaned against the wall. He put all his weight on his right leg, attempting to spare the left burden for a while. He must have been searching for a long time to have it ache so.

What to do now? Go back to his room and wait like a good boy or… There was another way. One that Rosyth had always tried to have him attempt before and one which he had always refused. Not knowing how to go about it, Daniel closed his eyes. Nothing but the blackness of his eyelids and a sense of being extremely silly. It was a connection between their minds after all, maybe he had to think of Rosyth and push a bit…

He felt something click into place in his mind and he jumped, so visceral a sensation it was. He opened his eyes and the sense of otherness still persisted. It was like a glow from within him. If he faced away from it, it grew cool, but if he moved towards it… It was not an immediate answer to his question, but one he would have to do with.

* * *

Rosyth was below him two floors in a room Daniel had never been to before. The whole floor gave the impression of being designed to intimidate. The walls, floor and ceiling were made from that strange black material that was heated from within and the doors were huge and looming. The walls were decorated with carvings near the ceiling that looked to be gargoyle-like creatures that snarled down at those who wandered below. The distressing thought that they might be modeled off of real inhabitants of this world crossed Daniel's mind and he hurried towards the room with Rosyth's spark behind it.

The door that hid Rosyth was big and made from some sort of material that seemed like wood but had the shine of metal to it. Daniel placed a hand on it; it was ice cold. Once again Daniel was reminded how thankful he was that Rosyth had allowed him to move his chambers from the gloomy guest room.

Hoping that he would not be disturbing Rosyth and that his presence would be welcomed, Daniel raised his hand to rap upon the door. It sprang open at the first brush of his knuckles. Of course, all the doors were set to open at his touch now. He jumped back as two silver heads swiveled in his direction. "I was…That is…I am terribly sorry," he babbled, flustered beyond imagining. He wondered if social decorum would allow him to turn on his heel and flee.

"Darling, I was just about to fetch you." The tight smile Rosyth gave him showed that he had been about to do no such thing. He held out a hand and after a moment of staring at it, Daniel hurried forward to take it. "That is not the outfit I set out for you." Though his tone was mild, Daniel could feel the disapproval radiating from him.

"I did not expect company so soon and thought to help you with preparations." He forced a fixed smile to his own face. "Besides, I needed your assistance to get into the damned thing."

Rosyth did not remark on Daniel's barb and turned to introduce him, the hand grasping Daniel's tightening enough to make him flinch.

The visitor had his back to them, using the pretense of studying a horrible sculpture that seemed to be of some monster devouring a man to give them their chance to talk privately. He looked to be the same height as Rosyth and he also sported the same shade of improbable shining white hair, though Rosyth's cousin's hair was cut to shoulder length. A sense of nostalgia hit Daniel with such force he took a step back, Rosyth's hold on his hand the only thing keeping him from retreating further.

Out of the corner of his eye he registered that Rosyth was frowning at him, but Daniel could not bring himself to take his eyes from the stranger long enough to offer his lover false assurances. How many times in his dreams had he followed a broad shouldered figure like that down dark corridors and into dark depths? It was on the tip of his tongue, the name Alexander, to utter it and see if it would cause this stranger to turn and acknowledge it. And what then? Did he truly trust in Rosyth to defend him, to take his side against his own blood?

Rosyth called something out and Daniel started at the unfamiliarity of the words. Their connection had somehow failed and the translation was not coming through into his mind. He turned to tell this to Rosyth just as the man turned around to them.

It was not a start, but just barely. A small widening of the eyes that was quickly smoothed over into a bland, amused expression. If Daniel had not been so focused on their guest he would have missed it. Again Rosyth spoke in his own language and the stranger responded in kind, his eyes reluctantly leaving Daniel's.

"I cannot understand you," Daniel whispered, forcing a smile to his face to hide his discomfort.

 _I am only introducing who you are to me_ , came Rosyth's mental voice.

"And I cannot be privy to it?"

Rosyth smiled with one side of his mouth. _In all fairness, he cannot understand you either_.

That provoked an uneasiness within him. Rosyth had severed the connection that automatically translated his language for Daniel only to keep his cousin from understanding Daniel? That reeked of a petty possessiveness; one Daniel was not at all flattered by. Or maybe Rosyth was unsure of what his cousin's reaction to Daniel would be and was seeking to shield him from some hurt.

The man spoke, his voice low and melodic, much like Rosyth's. A bit richer in timbre though, maybe on account that he looked to be a few years Rosyth's senior. He neared them and stopped a respectable distance to bow to Daniel.

"What did he say?"

_What do you think he said? He said he is glad to meet you. Let me finish with these social niceties and then you can hie away to your precious gardens._

Daniel pulled his hand from Rosyth's with force, much to the cousin's amusement, judging by the quick smirk. "I have no name to offer, but I would have yours." He gave Rosyth an arch look over his shoulder. "Translate for me then."

 _I do not like you so imperious_. But none the less a string of pretty, incomprehensible words followed.

The man tapped two fingers over his heart in a strange sort of salute and half bowed to Daniel. Presumably his name followed, but as always, the syllables were almost too liquid to catch. "Hy'vel?"

A small gesture in the negative and the name was repeated again. Daniel strained to catch it. "I am sorry, but I could not catch it in its entirety. I beg your pardon, but may I call you only Hy'vel?"

A cant of the head to the side-with an expression that was almost charmed-and Daniel took it as a yes. He extended his hand between them. Rosyth hissed something and Hy'vel looked with frank curiosity at Daniel's shaking hand. Daniel was momentarily flustered and began to draw it back. "I am sorry, I have been ill recently and am still a bit infirm-" He jumped as Hy'vel took hold of his hand, wrapping it in his own as if it were a frail bird. His other hand came up and cupped over it protectively.

He spoke rapidly and all Daniel could do was shake his head. "What?"

"He asks for your name," Rosyth answered.

"Bloody good of you to start up the translation magic again. Now make it work on him."

"To do so would mean to open up a channel between your mind and his and that I will not tolerate." His eyes fell on their joined hands and he frowned.

Hy'vel laughed and pulled Daniel forward, releasing him long enough to put an arm around him. Daniel could guess the gist of the sarcastic barb he threw at Rosyth by the way Rosyth bristled. With an elbow to the ribs, Daniel gained his freedom. "Be kind, sir. You are a guest in this house after all."

 _And you think you aren't_. Daniel quickly looked over at Rosyth who had not stopped glaring at his cousin. It had not the tone Rosyth's mental voice usually held, but… Perhaps it had been a trick of his mind? He shook his head, raised a trembling hand to his temple. Hy'vel held Rosyth's gaze for a long moment, overly long Daniel felt. He wondered if the two would soon come to blows. Then Hy'vel shook himself and reassembled his former good humor. He took Daniel's hand again and smiled at him, saying what was clearly an apology.

Daniel wrenched his hand back and stumbled a few paces away. Something about that smile… A frown marked the man's brow though he smiled still and that was all too familiar as well. He took a step towards Daniel and said something that appeared to be a jest, but Daniel continued to retreat.

"I am sorry. I suddenly…I feel unwell. Make my apologies," he commanded Rosyth, his hand fumbling behind him for the doorknob. Once his hand closed upon it he was through the door and with it slammed shut on the cousins, he broke into a run for the elevator.

* * *

Rosyth found him in the act of being sick in the bathing chamber. Luckily he had managed to make it back to his rooms and to the strange device that carried their waste away.

"Darling! Are you all right?" Rosyth was crouched by his side in an instant, long fingers combing through Daniel's sweat soaked hair.

"I do not know what is wrong with me." He rested his brow against the lip of the device's bowl.

"Perhaps the excitement of meeting someone new? You are prone to nerves, I have noticed."

"Perhaps." Daniel gagged and heaved himself over the contraption again.

"My poor love. I was going to invite you down to dinner, but that seems impossible now." Rosyth did not look at all put out that Daniel would not be joining them.

"Did I embarrass you?" Daniel asked, not able to keep the wretchedness out of his voice.

"Not at all! Do not think such nonsense. Is that what has caused your distress? Put it from you at once!" Rosyth smoothed his hair back. "Nothing you could ever say or do would be a discredit to me."

"You are glad that I will not be at dinner with you and earlier I noted you smiled when I fled the room in the rude manner that I did. Were you relieved to have me gone?"

"Of course I was."

Daniel blinked at him, momentarily speechless. "I think I am due some explanation."

Rosyth sighed. "You really have no esteem of yourself at all. What impression did you think you made, coming into the receiving room disheveled?"

"A poor one," he ventured. Rosyth made a face, clearly annoyed.

"He could not take his eyes from you!"

"Because I made an idiot of myself! I was not even in the dress clothing you laid out for me!"

Rosyth rolled his eyes. "And you had to pick the green shirt out of them all," he muttered. He stood and offered a hand to Daniel. "Can you rise? I will help you to bed."

"I do not know if I am done here."

"I would rather you were reclined in bed. I will fetch you a basin." Suiting word with deed, Daniel soon found himself in his robe and tucked comfortably away under the covers.

Rosyth perched at the bedside, his fingers trailing over Daniel's hair spread out on the pillows. "I will have to go to dinner. Dread Ones know I would rather sup with you."

"I understand you have duties, my love."

Rosyth hesitated, and then added, "I cannot be seen to sleep here tonight."

That made Daniel sit up. "You are upset at me then!"

"Far from it." Rosyth placed his hands on Daniel's shoulders and eased him back down against the pillows. "I need to make certain impressions while we have our…guest." His lips twisted up at the word. "I need to sleep in my own chambers."

"It is morally wrong then, our sharing a bed?"

"Not at all, you silly thing. It's just…" He paused to search for the right words. "I am lord of this keep, but if he chose to contest it he might have a case. While he is here I need to be seen as lord undisputed, which means staying in the traditional chambers of its ruler." A finger traced Daniel's cheekbone. "Don't look at me like that." He leaned over and kissed Daniel's forehead. "I would like you to come with me. I can come fetch you after dinner. There would be no ill talk if my lover was to share my bed, but to have it reported that I have spurned my own for my lover's…"

"How long is he staying?" Daniel asked.

"I don't know. For as long as he knows will vex me most."

"I do not wish to forsake the gardens."

Something like hurt passed over Rosyth's features. "I understand, but surely for just the small amount of time that he is here..."

"And your rooms are in the older wing of the castle," Daniel added more to himself than to Rosyth.

"You think them the older? No, these are the oldest parts of the castle." He placed a hand on the white sandy walls. "The black corridors and rooms were added when my family took over this keep from its predecessors."

That piqued Daniel's curiosity, but before he could question Rosyth further on the history of their home, he rose to take his leave. "I am only a mental shout away if you should need anything. I will come collect you after I've dined."

"Rosyth, I do not know if I would be comfortable staying somewhere new tonight. I am ill."

"And because you are ill, please don't make me have to leave you by yourself tonight." The undercurrent of pleading in the voice made Daniel fidget.

"I will think on it. Enjoy your dinner."

Rosyth snorted as he closed the door behind him. Daniel settled back into his bed and closed his eyes. He prayed fervently that he would not dream of Brennenberg…or of Alexander.

* * *

True to his word, Rosyth roused him a few hours later. Daniel murmured sleepy nonsense and automatically started to shift over to give Rosyth room to climb in beside him.

"Not tonight, my love," Rosyth said, fingers brushing over Daniel's tangled hair. "We are going back to my chambers tonight."

Daniel woke enough to realize that he had agreed to no such thing, he had only agreed to think on it, but Rosyth was already gathering him into his arms and sweeping him out of the room. "I am not happy with this," he groused.

"And I am heartily sorry to hear that, but it will only be for a few days." Rosyth did not have to sound so smug about the entire business! They passed the hall of faces and the corridor that was open to the night air. The door to the guest room was breezed by and Daniel wondered if it were now Hy'vel's quarters. The brief stab of possessive outrage that the man could be staying where once Daniel had called 'his' surprised him.

Daniel did not know this part of the castle well. He tried not to explore the black wings that much, deeming them too gloomy and oppressive. He thought of Rosyth's claims that his people had added this to the keep when they took it over. Perhaps that best summed up Alexander's kind: gloomy and oppressive. He laughed to himself which earned him a raised eyebrow from Rosyth.

"Here we are." He set Daniel down before a door that looked like all the rest in this wing. Daniel put a hand to the wall to steady himself, its warmth heating his palm.

"This is all very nostalgic." Rosyth made no comment as he opened the door and stood back for Daniel to enter. Daniel was pleased that Rosyth did not take him up in his arms again like a new bride being carried over a threshold. He entered the room and looked around.

The room was…not as minimalistic as the guestroom had been, much to Daniel's dismay. He eyed a tapestry on the far wall that seemed to depict stylized renderings of ritual sacrifices. Thankfully the 'offerings' appeared to be all beasts. "Do you like it?" Rosyth's anxious tone made Daniel start and he pried his eyes from the gory scenes to take in the fireplace, the wealth of bookcases crammed with books.

"It…suits you." Daniel placed a hand on the sofa before the fire. "One could say that it does have a…slight air of coziness to it."

"See, it is not as bad as you feared!"

Daniel hoped the smile on his face was not strained.

"But you must be exhausted. Let's go on to bed." Rosyth gestured at another door, the frame carved with strange entities that wore expressions of either bliss or agony-it was very hard to distinguish which it was in the gloom. Again Rosyth held the door open for Daniel, who approached slowly, praying under his breath that it would not be worse than the…

It was.

He stood a few paces beyond the door, frozen. It was…words could not… "How can you sleep here?" he finally stammered out.

The bed was huge and one had to walk up two steps on its side to lay on it. The bedspread was the color of spilt blood, which was disquieting in the unremitting blackness of the room, but the real problem was… Daniel raised his eyes to the one decoration the room held. It was the skeleton of some huge beast, articulated to seem to be spreading its wings over those who slumbered beneath it. Its mouth, which had teeth as long as Daniel's hand, was curled up in a too knowing leer, its head angled to appear to be studying the bed and the activities that would take place upon it. The fact that its bony thighs were spread almost wantonly on either side of the headboard did not help matters at all.

Rosyth came up behind him and wrapped his arms around Daniel. "I was born in that bed," he murmured against Daniel's cheek. His hands began to trail along Daniel's body. "I was conceived in that bed," he added a bit breathlessly and pressed himself against Daniel's back.

Daniel turned his head and gave him a look which made Rosyth immediately release him. "I will sleep on the sofa for the night, I think." Rosyth looked hurt, but Daniel strode past him, pausing to look at the tapestry. He was glad that there was no longer anything in his stomach to give him quarrel.


	18. Chapter 18

Daniel awoke and panicked. He did not recognize that ceiling, those walls! He almost called out for Rosyth, when the events of the previous night settled upon him and he calmed himself. There was a weight on his lap and raising his head he saw that Rosyth was using it as a pillow. Come to think of it, he had not had these blankets over him when he had stretched out on the sofa to sleep. Nor the pillow… He smiled and sat up to stroke Rosyth's hair.

The other man stirred and blinked up at Daniel. "Good morning."

Rosyth yawned. "Good morning."

"That does not look to be a very comfortable position."

"And spending the night in it did not improve it any." He moved to sit on the sofa by Daniel's side, wincing slightly.

"I am sorry, but if I had to spend the night in that room I would have had nightmares."

"I understand. It is fine." But by the way he would not meet Daniel's eyes, it proved how very not fine it was. Daniel had hurt him last night.

Daniel placed a hand on his cheek and turned his face to his own. "Maybe I can grow used to it…"

"Don't force yourself. A week at the most and then you never have to see these rooms again." Was there the slightest bit of bitterness under Rosyth's words? It really was too early to try to puzzle out the man.

"Are you feeling better?"

Daniel cocked his head to the side, and considered his condition. "I feel better than last night. I do not know what overcame me."

"Nerves, perhaps. Or maybe you caught a small cold." Rosyth touched his brow and Daniel wondered if he was checking for fever. "Are you hungry?"

"A little." He was surprised to realize that he was famished. Last night, he had vowed never to eat again.

"I'll bring you up some breakfast then." He rose, giving Daniel a hand to help him to his feet. "The bathing chamber is this way. Unfortunately it is through the bedroom so try to keep your eyes cast to the ground as we pass through it."

Daniel frowned; Rosyth's tone was bordering on biting. "I am sorry for any offense I have caused-"

"And I told you to think no more on it. I knew you startled easily and were prone to…frights." He tugged Daniel through the bedroom door and Daniel could not help the moue of distaste as he looked up at the ghastly decoration. "I have seen it almost every day of my life. I suppose…I suppose I never stopped to think how an outsider would see it."

"Is it a dragon your great-grandfather slew?" Daniel winced at how flippant the jest came out.

"It has been in the family for ages, if that is what you mean. Here we are." He pushed Daniel into the bathing chamber and after a second of pitch darkness, the lights came on.

It was huge. The pool of water in the middle of the room was almost big enough to do a proper lap in. The walls were still black but were carved to give the impression of vines and flora and, as with the guestroom, there was a statue in the center of the pool which water trickled from down into the water below. There was something serpentine in the curves of the statue, something unsettling in the sharp, jagged bits that stuck out at strange angles. But it did not end in a face as the one in Brennenberg had. Daniel was thankful for the small favors he received.

There was a mirror along one wall and Daniel was about to tease that he did not think he approved of watching himself bathe, when he caught sight of Rosyth's sullen expression in it. Daniel turned and pulled Rosyth to him. Standing on his toes, he gave the man's chin a small nip. "Do you have to leave me to fetch breakfast? You need to bathe too." He wound his arms around Rosyth's neck.

"I can bathe later." He put his hands on Daniel's waist and for a heart-wrenching moment Daniel thought he would be pushed away.

"You can bathe now. With me." He nuzzled at Rosyth's neck, rubbed a thumb over the sensitive spot where the back of his skull met his spine.

"Is this your way to win my forgiveness for your spurning of my bed last night?"

Daniel leaned back to see Rosyth's face. He affected a slight pout. "I am not very artful, am I?"

Rosyth's expression had eased and there was the slightest hint of a smile in the corners of his mouth. "I think you can be very seductive. If you put your mind to it."

"And are you saying I am not trying my best to seduce you now?" he cried out in mock outrage.

"I think you will find me very unmoved by your efforts for a few moments more. I am enjoying this little display." The grin he gave Daniel made the other man shudder.

"I do suppose it would not hurt me to practice more." Daniel trailed his hand down Rosyth's chest. "Have a servant bring up a tray for us." He then slipped out of Rosyth's arms and, letting his robe fall to the floor, entered the water. He smiled as only a few seconds later, Rosyth followed him.

* * *

The servant brought the tray into the very bath chamber. It made Daniel almost spring up from Rosyth's lap, but the other kept him still. "I would not think you to be so modest after that little show you just gave me." Rosyth smiled and pulled the tray closer to the edge of the pool.

"If you would remember, we had no witnesses then." He soon forgot his annoyance and selected a pastry to nibble on. "This is quite decadent seeming! To eat in the bath."

"It is not a custom I am prone to myself. But I did not want to get out just yet and it is nice to see you so relaxed."

"The same for you, my love." Daniel gave him a sticky kiss and went back to eating. "Actually having a warm bath at all is decadent to me," he admitted.

"Oh?"

"I think…I remember dimly that only the wealthy had baths in their houses. I had to make do with a bathing tub that was brought in every few days. Filling it with water was a tedious task and no matter how we warmed it before we poured it in, the bath was always ice cold by the time we got in." He shrugged and traded the pastry for a cup of Oo-luk.

Rosyth said nothing, but traced one of Daniel's scars. "What are you thinking?" Daniel finally asked, unnerved a bit by the other's silence.

"That I am very glad that you found me."

"You found me, if you'll remember!"

Rosyth closed his eyes and brushed his cheek against Daniel's hair.

* * *

Daniel was flipping through one of Rosyth's books-a book on botany judging by the pictures- when Rosyth breezed into the room through the main door, pausing when he spied Daniel tucked comfortably away on the couch.

"Did you check in on your cousin?"

"Briefly. I thought he was oversleeping, but it seemed as if he took it into his head to go for a ride."

"On our horse?" It was a struggle to keep the outrage from his voice. He had acquired a strong protective streak when it came to his home and the creatures it sheltered, it seemed.

"No, his own."

"It must have been a long ride to reach our home." Daniel thought of the vast expanse of the desert that encircled them. His brows drew together in thought. "How on earth did he reach us in such a timely manner if he rode?"

"I never said he rode here, I only said he had brought his own horse." And that was all he would say on the subject. Daniel grumbled to himself, watching as Rosyth went around the room, studying the titles of the books on his selves, crouching to stir the embers of the mostly dead fire. Finally he rose and with his back to Daniel announced, "You should have lunch with my cousin and myself. You appear much improved from last night and I am sure you must be getting hungry again."

Daniel was flustered. "Surely you can eat by yourselves? I could not bear to make you wait for me to get dressed…"

"Go like this." Rosyth reached forward and ruffled his hair. Daniel laughed and batted the hand away.

"After you berated me yesterday for dressing inappropriately!"

"It wasn't because you were dressed inappropriately." He sat beside Daniel and put an arm around him, rested his chin on his shoulder. "If he sees you like this, perhaps you will scare him off."

"Monster!" Daniel smiled as he said it though and let Rosyth press his cheek against his own. "Besides I have no clothes here to wear. I am sure you do not wish me to dine in my robe."

"My wardrobe is in the bedchamber. Just do not look at the creature you think so foul and wear something of mine."

Daniel shook his head. "Surely it would be best for me to return to my own chambers, get properly attired and join you both for dinner."

Slender fingers wrapped around his own and squeezed. "Please. I need you today."

That sobered Daniel. And warmed him not a little. He was so used to Rosyth being his support that it never occurred to him that Rosyth might need him in the same ways. "Of course. Anything for you."

Rosyth smile and trailed behind Daniel as they entered the bedchamber. Daniel tried very hard not to glance up at the hideous display on the far wall and made for the armoire he had missed the night before. It was also made of some black material and blended in almost perfectly with the wall. Rosyth sat on one of the steps that led up to the bed and propped his chin in his hand as he watched Daniel set about his dress. "And not anything green today," he warned.

"Does it suit me ill?" Daniel asked poking through the many clothes that hung in the prodigious wardrobe.

Daniel swore he heard a faint _far from it_ in the very corners of his mind. "Do you really need me to come today? Your cousin can surely not be so horrid as to need me to come to your defense!" His fingers skimmed a dark green tunic and he almost pulled it out to tease Rosyth.

"I think he assumes I have killed you. He kept asking about your condition this morning with ever rising, and annoying, concern."

"So I am only to come to prove I have not met an untimely demise at your hand?" He caught Rosyth's wince from the corner of his eye. He selected a tunic that was white with a faintly silver sheen to it and some breeches that were scaled. "How about this?"

"I would prefer something plainer, but I fear anything would suit you well. Put it on and I will help you with the belts. You did a horrible job with them last time."

Daniel harrumphed and complied. Rosyth came up behind him so silently that he started when the other man ran his fingers down his back. "It is not just to appease my cousin and prove my innocence, you know." His eyes were so solemn that Daniel had to swallow and search for his voice.

"I know," he said and handed Rosyth the sash.

* * *

The dining hall was cavernous. The ceiling was lost to the gloom and the only light came from the long windows that lined one side. A huge table occupied most of the room, surrounded by the bone chairs that Daniel detested, but Rosyth favored. After peering around at the…décor, Daniel could not see how anyone could keep their appetite in this room. The walls were lined by shadowy alcoves and inside of them were…specimens. Perfectly preserved and meticulously arranged to mimic the forms they had had in life, the curious forms of taxidermy stared out at the diners as they sat down to their meal.

"This is not your handiwork, surely?" Daniel asked peering at the one closest to him: a canine-like thing whose jaws split back impossibly far.

Rosyth shifted in his seat. "Trust me, this room makes me every bit as uncomfortable as you."

"Then why are we-" Daniel began with heat when he was interrupted by the doors at the end of the hall being thrown open.

Hy'vel's eyes went straight to Daniel, who leaned towards Rosyth the smallest degree. His eyes were a shade darker than Rosyth's, he noticed, his features a bit broader, the nose not as aristocratic. Daniel was amused at himself for the pride he felt that his Rosyth was the more handsome of the two. He pushed this thought towards Rosyth's mind, more to see if he could, and was rewarded by the man at his side almost choking on a laugh.

Hy'vel raised an eyebrow and asked what they found so amusing. Rosyth hurriedly waved away the query and motioned for him to sit down. He took a seat, not where Rosyth had indicated, but by Daniel. Daniel leaned even further against Rosyth.

 _He won't bite you._ The voice in his head was not amused. Daniel snuck a peek at Rosyth's face to make sure the displeasure was not aimed at him. He was pleased to see it was not. "Making conversation will be hard if he can only understand the one of us. I will not resort to mime again."

"There is no call for you to make yourself understood. Let us just do our duty and eat with him and then return to our rooms." Rosyth's hand closed around his, his mental voice a velvet purr that brushed against Daniel, _I can think of a few ways to relax before we need to sup with him again._

Daniel jumped, then immediately blushed. He had not known that Rosyth could invoke such pleasurable feelings just by touching his mind. His response was not unnoticed and their visitor raised an eyebrow at him. Daniel's blush intensified and he pulled his hand out from under Rosyth's. There was a flash of ire in his mind that made him wince and Rosyth roughly grabbed his hand again.

Hy'vel smiled, though his eyes were sparking amber, and said something that had Rosyth sputtering and releasing Daniel.

Daniel opened his mouth to ask him what was said, then thought better of it. Thankfully the servants came bearing their lunch. Daniel looked about for Maria, but her regal form was not among the three shrouded figures that waited on them.

Hy'vel was presented with his own tray filled with small plates and bowls. One was set between Rosyth and Daniel, clearly meant for them to share.

"Is this not odd? What impression will we leave on him if we do not each have our own plates? He will think we are too poor to have more than two!"

Rosyth laughed. "He will think no such thing. Calm yourself. It is just one of our traditions." His hand slipped under the table and squeezed Daniel's knee. "We share everything now."

He should have explained to Daniel in his mental voice, for Hy'vel responded in a sharp voice. Rosyth actually flinched at it and withdrew his hand. He snapped something at his cousin and then went about his meal.

"What was that about?"

Rosyth was not going to answer, but Hy'vel snarled something at him. "He was reprimanding me. He seems to think me neglectful." And that was all Daniel could pry from him.

Hy'vel was most curious about Daniel, demanding Rosyth question him and relay his answers throughout the meal. Daniel realized that Hy'vel must not believe Rosyth's answers for he often asked the same thing more than once, as if trying to catch them in a lie.

It was a rather unbelievable story, Daniel had to admit: Rosyth stumbling across him in the desert, hurt and amnesiac-very convenient the latter. And then Daniel becoming his lover in such a scarce amount of time… Daniel winced. Hy'vel's joviality was diminishing with each second he talked to Rosyth about Daniel, his eyes getting harder and his mouth more set. Daniel worried that their guest was thinking that Rosyth had taken advantage of Daniel.

After lunch, Hy'vel seemed to be asking about the castle for Rosyth hastily offered a tour of it. "My love, would you like to accompany us?" Daniel had to smother the smirk that threatened to appear at the small plead in Rosyth's voice.

"I would be happy to. I have never had a proper tour of the place and I have lived here for months!"

Rosyth winced and Daniel had the impression he was thankful that his cousin could not understand his lover's language. Rosyth offered Daniel his hand and helped him to his feet. Daniel had to bite his lip when he rose and then had to cling to Rosyth for a moment until his leg uncramped enough to support him. When he turned to walk with Rosyth out of the dining hall, he caught Hy'vel staring at him with an inscrutable expression. The man quickly diverted his gaze to one of the grim trophies. What impressions was he leaving on the poor man?

Most of the tour were rooms that Daniel knew too well: the sanctuary, the workroom, though surprisingly they forwent the gardens. Rosyth waved a hand at the garden doors as they walked by, shutting off their mental connection to bark something at Hy'vel who only raised a brow in amusement. But there were some rooms that Daniel had never been in before, the room they were currently standing in being one.

The walls were lined floor to ceiling with bookshelves, and the ceiling was very very high. Daniel craned his head back to take them all in. "Why did you never tell me you had such a room?" he demanded, spinning around, a laugh of delight escaping him.

"Why would I? You can't read our language." Rosyth did not even turn to look at him, instead looking out the impressive window behind a very prodigious desk.

Daniel flushed and wrapped his arms around himself. Why did Rosyth always treat him like he was either a child or a simpleton? Even if he could not speak their language, did that mean he could not read it either? Perhaps the words transmitted onto paper would hold in his mind with more fastness, perhaps-

Hy'vel's arm shot out, brushing his cheek as it passes, and plucked a book from the shelf. Daniel gasped and whirled around. And also why did everyone insist on sneaking up on him? Hy'vel smiled and held the book out to Daniel.

"Th-thank you, but he is right I cannot-" Hy'vel opened the book. One of the pages was taken up by a map and the other an etching-so detailed to be almost lifelike-of strange buildings that defied gravity. "Oh! Is it a book of geography then?" He took the book from Hy'vel and eagerly began to flip through the pages. Strange buildings, peoples that made Bel'rok seem ordinary… A cool finger traced down the back of his neck. Daniel yelped and slapped a protective hand over it, stumbling away from Hy'vel.

The man was wearing an expression of such intensity that Daniel retreated even further until the bookcase was against his back. Seeing Daniel's alarm, he forced an empty smile to his face. He bowed slightly and went to investigate another corner of the room. Daniel rubbed at his neck and wondered what had sparked that small gesture of intrusiveness. His fingers ran across the raised edges of one of his scars. His collar must have ridden down a bit and when he had leaned over the book his hair would have fallen aside… He was suddenly ashamed and he did not even know why.

Glancing up he met Rosyth's eyes. He did not say anything and his face gave no emotion away. His yellow gaze darted to his cousin and then back to the landscape.

* * *

Dinner had been conducted in complete silence. The only one who seemed to have no trouble meeting anyone's gaze was Hy'vel. Rosyth and Daniel stared down into their dishes with an intense concentration. When he could not take it any longer Daniel gave a theatrical sigh. Two pairs of amber eyes swiveled towards him. He smiled wanly. "I think I shall retire for the evening. I am not used to entertaining and I find myself wearied." Was that a flash of desperation in Rosyth's eyes? Did he fear upbraidment from his cousin as soon as they were alone? Daniel felt guilty for the small spark of amusement this thought conjured; Rosyth did have an arrogant bearing, it might do him some good to be chastised once in a while.

Daniel bowed to each of them and departed for his rooms. He thought back on dinner, also with Rosyth and he sharing a tray, and felt disquiet. He had shared his meals with Rosyth in such a manner almost since they had first met. Why had Rosyth never signified that it meant something so profound? And why had he been so ready to initiate that sort of intimacy with a stranger whom he could not even understand?

Rosyth came to his chamber, knocking before he entered, which made Daniel's eyebrow rise. "Did your cousin scold you terribly?"

The only answer he was given was a scowl. "Are you ready for bed?" Rosyth asked, deflecting Daniel's question with his own. He held out his hand to help Daniel rise from his chair. Daniel's considered it for a long moment and then slowly shook his head.

"I think I will stay here for the night. I am sorry, but sleeping on the couch was a miserable experience and did not do my old injuries any favors."

Rosyth's hand curled into a fist and fell to his side. "Then get over your childish qualms and sleep in the damned bed with me."

"Get over your childish qualms and stay here with me as you usually do! How is your cousin to know where you spend your nights?"

"I will not go sneaking around my own castle like a-"

"Then what other choice do we have? It is only a few nights, you said so yourself. We can bear with-" But Rosyth did not stay to hear Daniel's rationalizations. He stormed out of the room making sure to give the door a theatrical slam.

* * *

Daniel's bed embraced him like an old friend he had sorely missed. For once, his sleep was dreamless, but he still awoke well before dawn. Daniel stretched and realized he was not the least bit sleepy. A walk in the garden then. A few turns around its paths might be just the thing to calm his mind. The altercation with Rosyth had unsettled him more than he had thought.

The garden was quieter than normal and, though the moon was a hair past full, it seemed full of shadows. There was a forlorn air about the place that night. Daniel pulled his robe around him more tightly. He had hoped for Maria to be at their usual meeting spot, but in that he was disappointed. He had felt her absence keenly today. He wondered if she was all right and wondered also why Rosyth had dismissed her upon Hy'vel's arrival. Was she locked up in some room of the castle, standing motionless like one of Rosyth's mechanical toys whose spark had faded? Was she still sentient even if her limbs were bound to immobility by her master's will? Daniel thought of her, alone in some dark place, and shuddered.

"I miss you my friend," he whispered, fingers brushing aside a vine that was straying. "I hope you are well."

A throat was cleared behind him. Daniel whirled, panic choking down the instinct to flee, keeping him rooted to the spot. Upon seeing the figure half in shadow, he straightened from his crouch. "Rosyth?"

"Rosyth?" The figure mimicked taking a step into the moonlight. Daniel moved to put the stone between them.

"My apologies, Hy'vel."

Hy'vel smiled and held his hands up to his ears. That was right, the man could not understand him. Daniel sighed in frustration. He had not expected to be back at this point ever in his life. "I will just go back to bed," he mimed sleep, "and leave you to the garden." He pointed at Hy'vel-remembering in the nick of time to use two fingers-and did a looping motion that encompassed the garden.

Hy'vel, his smile never wavering, made the negating gesture. He pointed at Daniel, then at himself, and then indicated conversing.

Daniel shook his head. "I cannot make myself understood to you and I am not in the mood for charades this night. I take my leave of you, sir." Daniel again made to leave, but Hy'vel stayed him with a gesture and a click of the tongue. Daniel looked at him curiously. "And what do you hope to gain by keeping me out in this chill-" He gasped as his vision wavered. Pain so intense, like a red hot nail being driven into his skull, forced him to his knees. He whimpered, wanting it to be over, wanting to crawl back to his bed and to his Rosyth. Then, as suddenly as it had come upon him, it was passed.

"What in hell was that?" Daniel moaned, rubbing his temples.

"My apologies. There really is no delicate way to go about it. Are you unhurt?"

Daniel gaped up at Hy'vel. "I can…Your words, I understand them. How…?"

Hy'vel tapped his head and…was that a wink he dropped at Daniel? "I made a little mind link of my own. I was jealous of the conversations you seemed to enjoy with your 'Rosyth'. I do hope you can forgive me." He drew closer to Daniel's shivering form, offering him a hand to help him to his feet. Daniel looked at it blankly.

"That answers the what, but the how is still in want. It took Rosyth months before he was capable of it."

"Let us just say that it is one of many things I excel at." It was most definitely a wink this time. Daniel pushed his hair from his face.

"Perhaps Rosyth merely wanted to spare me the pain and so took his time."

Hy'vel clucked his tongue. "That very well may be. So what brings you out this night?"

"I could not sleep."

"And I was in the very same straits. Take me around the garden, show it off. Rosyth alluded to me that I should not come here because it is your domain." Again that hand was offered and again Daniel refused to take it. Hy'vel took hold of Daniel's wrist and pulled him to his feet. "Lead me, boy. Play the good host."

Daniel started. The sick feeling from yesterday was crawling back through his being. "I am still unwell, sir. I think I will try to find my rest."

For a moment the good humor in Hy'vel's eyes flickered and died, replaced by something hard and cold. He blinked and the mask was back in place once again. "I am sorry I kept you from your bed. Or should I say Rosyth's?"

"You should say nothing at all on the topic!" Daniel sputtered, turning to leave. He walked a few paces and paused. He had thought there would have been some response from Hy'vel, a snort of stifled laughter at least. Daniel looked behind him.

Hy'vel was studying him with a look of intense concentration, merriment fled. Daniel realized where the man's gaze was directed and faced him, outraged. "Sir, do you have no decency?"

"I do, when I care to claim it." He met Daniel's eyes, but there was no flirtation dancing in them. "You have a very…intriguing walk. You sway slightly from side to side. It is quite appealing, but I am sure it is not for my benefit."

Daniel flushed. "I had an accident a few months ago." He almost supplied that it was when Rosyth had found him, rescued him, but he held it back. He thought he would do well to not reveal too much to this shrewd man.

"And what sort of accident was that?"

"One that I do not wish to talk about in the middle of the night with a barbar-" Daniel yelped as Hy'vel's hand closed around his arm. The man moved like thought itself! His other hand, rough and calloused, ran down Daniel's side until it felt the grooves of the Kaernk's gift rising through the thin fabric of his dress.

"What in the hells is that?" Hy'vel muttered in surprise. He pulled his hand back, but still kept hold of Daniel with the other. "Show me."

The imperious tone made Daniel tremble. "I will not-" His robe was ripped aside. Hy'vel released him, eyes wide as he gazed upon Daniel's scars. Daniel placed his hand over it, trying to hide his shame.

"What-"

"I told you, an accident."

"One with fearsome claws. I had thought that… I was concerned that you were covering for…"

"I do not care what you thought, I am going to bed." Daniel started for his room again and again was stayed.

"I thought that you were being abused. I did not mean to offend, I merely sought to protect."

"Well, offend you did." Daniel brushed his hand off and marched to his room.

"It really is a lovely gait!"

Daniel bit his lip to stop himself answering with a very un-gentleman remark.

* * *

Rosyth answered the pounding on his door with ill grace. His hair was disheveled and gave the appearance of being roused from slumber, but the circles under his eyes proclaimed that he had found little rest that night. "What is it?" He tried to rub the sleep out of eyes, maybe thinking he was sleepwalking and the Daniel before him was an illusion.

"I need a few hours of sleep where I do not fear molestation," Daniel snapped, breezing past him and marching to the bedchamber. He kept his pace brisk, fearing if he slowed the least amount his resolve would fail him.

The lights in the room flared on and the creature in the room grinned knowingly down at him. Daniel grimaced up at it. "Did something happen, my gift?" Rosyth asked, his voice tentative. He had followed Daniel into the room and was watching him with a mixture of concern and…hope?

Daniel looked from Rosyth back to the monstrosity. He put his hands on his hips and studied it in detail, hoping that the more he observed it, the less hideous it would become. After a few moments it proved no less hideous than it had been when Daniel first saw it.

"Should I get some blankets for the couch?" Rosyth lightly brushed his elbow. Daniel jerked his arm away.

"I will be fine, only…just do not turn off the lights." Before Rosyth could respond Daniel was climbing up the steps to the mattress and lying stiffly upon it. The skull was worse from this angle; one could see its teeth better from below, its grin even more lecherous. Daniel turned over onto his stomach.

The mattress dipped as Rosyth took a place beside Daniel. He rubbed the small of Daniel's back, his unasked questions making the air heavy around them. Finally he settled for one: "Is it all right if I dim the lights?"

Daniel nodded. Rosyth traced a symbol on the wall above them and the lights dimmed until Daniel asked for him to stop. Rosyth withdrew his hand _. I must ask him to teach me that_ , Daniel thought before Rosyth pressed tight against him. "Did something happen, my love?"

Daniel leaned into him. "Nothing that cannot wait until the morning." After a while, the heat and familiarity of Rosyth were enough to lull Daniel to sleep, even in such a strange and nightmarish boudoir.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, this month marks a whole year of writing in the Amnesia fandom...


	19. Chapter 19

"I thought I would find you hiding here."

Daniel looked up from his book and quickly back down when he saw that it was Hy'vel who was intruding on his solitude. "I am very busy at the moment if you do not mind."

"I am very sorry to be interrupting your studies then. We missed you at breakfast and lunch."

"I am sure. I needed a small reprieve from entertaining."

Hy'vel studied the books on a nearby shelf and chose one. He took a seat by Daniel on the library's single step that led to the area where the desk and the huge window were. Daniel inched away. "And where is Rosyth?"

"I suggested we go hunting this evening and he is seeing to our mounts I believe. Would you accompany us?"

"I have no tolerance for blood sports."

Hy'vel smiled as if Daniel had said something precocious. He flipped through the book he held and pointed to a map on one of its pages. "We are here currently."

Daniel glanced over in spite of himself. The page might as well have been blank. There were a few sketched in mountains on the edges of the page, a shadowy blot that might have represented a lake. "There is nothing there."

"Yes, a small speck in a vast wilderness. I have been trying for decades to convince Rosyth to move somewhere a bit more…lively, but he refuses."

"He values his solitude."

"Or perhaps he fears his reception."

"He does have an…unusual occupation."

Hy'vel grimaced. "Yes, there is that."

"Do many approve of it?"

"It depends. Some find it useful. You do not have to pay the dead after all and they cannot offer up protests nor can they have qualms. And there are others who take a more perverse delight in keeping creatures under their dominion past the point when their souls have fled. Do you help him? Rosyth intimated that you helped him in his work from time to time."

"I do, but not in that. Never in that."

Hy'vel smiled and Daniel had the feeling that he had passed some sort of test. "Rosyth once spoke of an empire," he said to change the subject.

Quickly turning the pages again, Hy'vel pointed to a dot surrounded by mountains. "Here is our glorious jewel in the wreckage of the worlds that we hold." His lip twisted up as he said it. "I will say this for my cousin's crumbling home, it does have a small shred of prestige to share the same world as the capital. You have no idea how many wars and petty family feuds have occurred to get a small foothold here."

"Maybe that is why he cherishes this place so then."

"No, he loves this place because since childhood he has felt the need to possess things and then hold onto them as a wyrm holds its hoard." Hy'vel gave Daniel a long look, opened his mouth to add a further remark, and then closed it again.

"And where do you live?"

"Here." He tapped the capital.

"Your family must be very illustrious."

Again that curl of lip. "It really has nothing to do with my pedigree."

"It is more to do with his occupation," Rosyth said. Daniel jumped and moved a few more inches away from their guest. "The emperor is very…enamored of his services." He gave his cousin a smile that was almost cruel. Hy'vel made a small sound that might have been a scoff.

Rosyth gave Daniel a glance, and then returned his gaze to Hy'vel. It was so intense Daniel wondered if he were trying to light the other man on fire with his mind. "It is nice to see you two chatting as if you were old friends."

"Family should get along," Hy'vel said with mock sincerity. He threw an arm over Daniel and pulled him close again. "You have no idea how overjoyed I was to hear you register a new addition to ours. It has been a full century since one of our kin has 'convinced' someone to take them as a mate." Mate was blurred in Daniel's mind and other connotations were mixed with it. The word had almost come through as 'bride'!

"Register?" he asked, wanting to be part of the conversation. Given their druthers he was sure the two relations would continue sniping at each other and forgetting his existence.

An expression almost akin to mortification passed over Rosyth's sharp features and he gave a slight jerk as if he had forgotten that Daniel was following their conversation.

"Oh?" Hy'vel raised an eyebrow. His arm on Daniel tightened. "One would think you would have mentioned it to your intended. Does he even know that you claimed him?" Rosyth's face once more hid behind his haughty mask and he made himself stand straight again. He said nothing, but met Hy'vel's eyes with his chin held high. They did not speak for a long time, their gazes locked and held.

"I am what?" Daniel ventured, trying to distract him.

"You are mine," Rosyth snapped. "You knew that."

Daniel flinched and regretted it, for he was sure Hy'vel felt it, pressed as he was against the other man. His first instinct was to deny that he was in some way owned but contradicting Rosyth in front of his cousin did not seem a wise move. "As you are mine," he finally settled on.

A sputtering laugh escaped from Hy'vel and he had to bite his lip to keep it in. It was definitely a fond, patronizing look that he shot Daniel this time. Daniel bristled at it. "Rosyth, your cousin told me that you are to go hunting soon."

Rosyth jumped, so focused on glaring at Hy'vel that he had again forgotten Daniel's presence. "Yes, yes that is right. I came to tell him that everything was ready and we might head out when…" He flung a hand out at them.

Daniel stood, his book curled up against his chest. Hy'vel's arm tensed as he rose and Daniel wondered if the man would have the gall to actually try to restrain him from leaving, but he let it slip from his shoulders without incident.

As Daniel was leaving the library, he paused at Rosyth's side. Standing on tiptoe he brushed his lips over his lover's-maybe in fact his husband's-cheek. "Have fun." Rosyth turned to him, a hint of something desperate in his eyes. There was a slight tickling in Daniel's mind and he knew Rosyth was about to tell him something via their link. He thought of iron barriers, tall and inviolable and the silence in his head was almost deafening. Rosyth flinched and looked away.

Daniel walked back to his chambers, his stride long and angry. He ignored how much his hip protested his pace. There was so much anger in him and he needed to dispel it somehow. If only he could run, he would do a few laps around the garden to try to calm himself! Instead he had to settle pacing up and down the garden paths like a caged tiger. Instead of diminishing his anger it seemed to fuel it. Well, one good thing had come from the day: he had learned that there was a way he could block his mind from others. His leg was screaming at him and he finally took a seat on the rock by the pond. This was the very place that Rosyth had once tried to confess to him, back when they could not even understand each other. The memory made him sad.

Daniel closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. He wanted Maria. Even if she could not speak to him, she was someone he could confide in. Her silent presence comforted him and he was beginning to think that the undead servant was the only one who had his best interest at heart. He wondered…

Keeping his eyes closed he thought of the iron barriers lowering and then he thought of Maria. He recalled her proud bearing, her strong and regal features, and how her femininity was more pronounced by her lack of hair instead of diminished by it. He imagined a wispy hand and sent it out past his mind, searching, searching… Something grabbed it in the void and Daniel jerked, almost broke his connection in his surprise. He remembered himself though and thought of his fingers closing around whatever had grasped him back.

_?_

He was disappointed that there were no words, but relieved that he could get a sense of whatever it was-and he was fervently hoping it was Maria-was thinking. He thought of his loneliness without her and his need for companionship and pushed it out. He felt the 'hand' in his waver and had the impression that he had surprised whoever it was. Then it held on to him so tight it made his head ache. It squeezed once and then released him. Daniel was alone again in his head. He opened his eyes, bemused. He had the odd thought that he had made Maria smile, there had been a tint of glee in their connection at the end, something that these dead servants should not have been capable of, surely.

Daniel, not knowing what to do with himself, fetched several books he had borrowed from Rosyth's library and went back to the monument in the garden. He told himself not to be too disappointed if Maria did not come and tried not to shudder at the thought that if it was not her, then whose mind had he touched? He had waited perhaps half an hour when he had the impression of someone watching him. He looked up and met Maria's black gaze.

Daniel grinned, his face aching from it as he rose to his feet and hurried over to her.

Maria's robes were disheveled and Daniel worried that she might have had to batter down a few doors to get to him. She appeared unhurt. In fact she appeared more alive than he had ever seen her. There was a slight flush to her cheeks, a shine in her eyes and was that the slightest of smiles on her lips? They regarded each other for a long moment, Daniel suddenly at a loss as to how to react. Then she held out her arms to him and Daniel threw himself into them, surprised at the tears that were blurring his vision.

* * *

"What is that doing in our rooms?" Rosyth asked, the satchel he was holding falling from his hand and landing on the floor with a clang.

"Maria is here because I was in want of company," Daniel replied primly, not looking up from his efforts to replicate the writing from one of his books.

Rosyth closed his eyes. "You've named it."

Daniel only replied with a shrug. Rosyth stared at him and then gave a sigh. He disappeared into his bedroom and Daniel could hear the sound of fabric brushing against fabric. Getting changed from the stiff garments he had chosen to hunt in, perhaps. After a while, he came out and peered over Daniel's shoulder.

"Do you even know what you are writing?"

"I think so." He circled a few of the elaborate squiggles. "This means 'city', does it not? And this," he circled another squiggle, "is the name of it."

Rosyth grunted and stalked off. Daniel smiled. He would pretend that Rosyth was impressed with him. The sound of grinding stone on stone made him glance up, his deciphering forgotten. "Whatever are you doing?"

"There is a feature of this room I think you would enjoy. I rarely use it and so forgot about it." Rosyth took a step back and watched the wall move away. Daniel came up behind him, a cool night breeze stroking his cheek.

"Why, you have a balcony here!" He could not hide his delight and Rosyth's shoulders lowered slightly in relief. Daniel walked out to the very end of it, leaning across the stone railing. He had never seen this side of the castle before. There was a dark smudge on the horizon that blotted out the lower stars. Mountains?

Rosyth touched Daniel's hair, letting the strands trail through his fingers. "Do you want to talk? About…earlier?"

"No."

"Ah." Rosyth fell silent and continued to pet Daniel. Daniel remembered the implications that he was a kept thing and stepped away. Rosyth let his hand fall to his side. "I really think we should."

"Not tonight. Not while your cousin is here. But I agree," Daniel met his eyes, "we really do have much to discuss."

Rosyth wilted. "I shall go send…Maria away for the night. Enjoy the night air."

"Do you really have to make her leave?" Daniel flinched at how petulant he sounded.

Rosyth's shoulders twitched. "For tonight, yes. I am a selfish creature and want a few hours where I have you to myself." Daniel did not return his smile. Rosyth dropped his eyes. "But I will summon…her...back tomorrow morning. To keep you company."

"Thank you."

Rosyth looked up at him, his expression suddenly stern. "But she will not leave this room while my cousin is here. Is that understood?"

Daniel wanted to ask why, but bit his tongue. He had the impression that Rosyth felt he was indulging him too much as it was.

True to Rosyh's word, Maria was in the main chamber when Daniel stumbled out the next morning. He settled his robe around himself more decently and raked his fingers through his hair-he really needed to cut it soon. "Maria, did you sleep well?" He colored as soon as he asked it. He had no idea if she could even sleep at all! She tilted her head minutely to the side though and held out something small and flat to him. Daniel took it. It was a slim book. Upon opening it he realized that the volume must have been written with children in mind for it was mostly pictures with a word or two written on each page. If it had been Hy'vel or even Rosyth who had given him this gift, he would have felt insulted, but he was sure Maria meant nothing condescending by it and so he gave her an unguarded smile.

"Thank you, Maria. I am sure this will help me with my studies immensely."

"What will help you?" Rosyth asked, hair still wild from sleep.

Daniel instinctively hid the book behind his back but then realized it was a lost cause to try to hide it now. He held the book up so Rosyth could see. "Maria found this for me."

It was as if Rosyth was instantly turned to stone. He stared down at the book with disbelief that gradually shifted to trepidation. "What do you mean it found the book for you? You mean she, it, gave it to you?"

"How else could you take my meaning?" Daniel took a few steps backward until he was standing in front of Maria. He was unsure if it was to comfort her or himself.

Rosyth looked at Maria. "That's impossible." It was more a command than a statement, Daniel thought.

Daniel shrugged. "Maybe she gleaned something from my mind and answered my request before I had even realized it myself."

Rosyth glowered to have his own words thrown back at him. "You will accompany me today while I entertain my guest. As you have pointed out before, this is your home now as well. I see no reason why you do not have to partake in your share of the duties."

"I would think you would want me as far away from Hy'vel as possible."

"On the contrary. I would like you two to be where I can see you both at all times."

Daniel laughed. "Do you seriously think I would be untrue to you?"

Rosyth made a small slash in the air. "I like to think you would not hurt me but…" His voice trailed off and his eyes drifted to the side. He looked so lost that Daniel was by his side in an instant, arms wrapping around him.

"Rosyth! It is not like you to be so silly!"

"Silly?" Rosyth's lip twitched into an almost-smile. "I don't think I have ever been called that." He rested his cheek against Daniel's hair.

"Why would you ever think I would tempted by that…that…uncouth-"

"I do not think it is a question of temptation, but one of…" His arms tightened around Daniel. "If you ever find out how unworthy I am of you…"

"Oh Rosyth, you really are the silliest man." Daniel held his face as he leaned up to kiss him. It all made a certain kind of sense now; Rosyth's leaving him in the dark about the degree of intimacy in their relationship, not traditionally asking before he proceeded in each step. The poor man had been terrified of rejection. "I am the last person to judge the worthiness of another," he admitted, drawing down the other man so their foreheads rested together.

"My gift…" Rosyth's thumb traced nonsense patterns against the small of Daniel's back. "I cannot imagine you ever doing anything so horrible as to leave you unable to stand above others, most of all me."

Daniel's laugh was long and bitter and he buried his face against Rosyth's shirt to try to smother it. When he had himself under control again, Daniel announced that if he was breakfasting with the cousins he had better attend to his dress. Rosyth let him go with reluctance, his fingers clutching Daniel's and then trailing away.

Daniel paused in the doorway and looked over his shoulder. He thought Rosyth would be looking after him and had in mind to give him a teasing, yet reassuring, smile. Rosyth's eyes were not on him though; they were meeting the black gaze of Maria. There was some sort of silent communication between the two of them and when Rosyth finally broke their locked gaze, his face was troubled.

* * *

Daniel found he liked the meals even less when he could understand the conversation. The relations sparred and quipped at each other constantly, even the most innocuous comment seemed to hide a sharp barb that Daniel could not quite catch. It was wearying.

"How about we go for a ride?" Daniel suggested, desperate to distract them somehow.

"We only have the two mounts," Hy'vel said, staring into his cup and frowning.

"Rosyth and I can share one. It is what we usually do." Daniel's hand found Rosyth's and he was pleased that the other gave his a small squeeze.

Hy'vel finally looked up at them. "I don't think I could stomach the sight of that, to be truthful."

Daniel did not even try to hide the glare at him and Rosyth was the one to run a soothing hand down his back this time. "What is that liquid you are drinking?" Daniel asked in an effort to calm himself.

"This?" Hy'vel held up his glass. "Why, it's wine." Wine was blurred in Daniel's mind. Not wine as he knew it then, but some sort of spirit this land had.

"I never knew we had a supply of wine in the castle." He gave Rosyth a small look.

"You have never had it before? Would you like some?" Hy'vel extended his glass.

Daniel almost reached out to take it, but Rosyth's hand curled around his shoulder. "I don't think that is a very good idea."

Daniel flushed as he remembered the story he had mimed for Rosyth about how he had come to have his amnesia. Rosyth really had come away thinking Daniel had been a drunkard in his past life! "Perhaps that is for the best." He let his hand fall to the table while Hy'vel gave him a curious glance.

After lunch Hy'vel announced that he needed Rosyth's opinion on what to do with some of their family holdings in the capital. Daniel was intrigued at the thought that Rosyth had property beyond their little forlorn castle and was curious about the reasons that he had no interest at all in it, but when Daniel actually showed signs of finally caring about the topic of conversation, he was shooed out.

"What an odd family," he muttered as he made his way to the garden. He had liberated the volume on botany from Rosyth's rooms and was eager to see if he could match any of their flora with the pictures therein. He brought his journal with him to copy down the word for anything they did have and thought to indulge himself with some sketching while he was at it.

Not wishing to spend the rest of the day alone, he sent a mental request for Maria to join him. It was only when she had glided into the gardens that he remembered his promise to Rosyth with a wince. Surely if he sent her back to Rosyth's rooms before they were out of their conference there would be no harm. You only had to apologize for what you got caught for after all.

He was very pleased to find that they did indeed boast some of the specimens found in the book and he wrote the words for them until he could see the odd spirals and squiggles in his head each time he looked at the flower they represented.

Maria had drifted behind him the entire venture, tending to the flowers and plants as they walked along the paths. Daniel should have realized that something was amiss when he did not hear her quiet footfalls trailing behind him. He turned to show her his latest sketch, very proud of himself that he had gotten the fine details of the veins that shot through the petals down, when he saw that she had halted several paces back.

She was looking behind her, a small line between her straight brows that almost denoted a frown. She pulled the hood over her face in a swift motion and stepped back into the bushes, almost fading away in the shadows. Oh bloody hell, had Rosyth finished squabbling with his cousin already? Anytime they holed up together it usually took hours for them to come to some kind of accord. Daniel marched at a brisk pace down the path and past Maria, sending to her with his mind that he would meet Rosyth and distract him to give her a chance to slip away. It was not Rosyth who met him though.

"Oh."

Hy'vel laughed and it sounded forced to Daniel's ears. "You could pretend a bit better to be pleased to see me."

"I have never been a good actor, my lord."

"No need for honorifics, we are family now," he said it with a grimace though.

"Are you ill pleased that your cousin has…" he struggled for the right word, "married me?" He winced at it though he had faith in the translation magic that it would come across how it was meant. It was still so unnatural and absurd to think that he could be…married to another man. And without either a ceremony or his consent! In all honestly he did not know which vexed him more.

Hy'vel shook his head slowly. The motion raised the fine hairs on the back of Daniel's neck and it took him a moment to understand why: it was not a gesture from their world but from Daniel's. He took a small step back as Hy'vel began to speak. "It is not the union I have trouble with or that he even chose someone from outside our species. It is growing more common these days as the empire expands and our ways of gaining a mate have always been…problematic within our own kind."

"It is hard for your kind to become with child?" Daniel hazarded. It was the only reason he could think of to explain why such a haughty race would welcome anyone they saw as inferior into their ranks, but Hy'vel gave him a look as if to say he was flabbergasted as to why Daniel would think that important.

He made the familiar slash in the negative and then slowly shook his head again. Daniel took another step back. Had Hy'vel spent time on his world and knew Daniel's race or, more unnerving, had he been watching Daniel that closely as to mimic his habits? "We really do not care if we have children or not, that is usually not the point of most unions. Did you not realize this when Rosyth took you? Unless I am mistaken, the males of your species are as little able to conceive a child as ours."

Daniel really did not approve of that sarcastic tone. "You are right, I cannot bear children, thank God." He was sure if he had been a woman and had lived through the same sorry history his children would be marked and cursed through generations.

"No, we pick our spouses by more…unusual criteria." He waited then, obviously thinking that Daniel would prompt him to explain. Instead Daniel turned his back to him and took a path that did not lead past where Maria was hid; this one would lead to his monument. After a moment, Hy'vel followed him. Daniel rolled his eyes.

It seemed that Hy'vel had not had a good look at the stone when he had first sought out Daniel a few nights ago. He stared at it for a long moment then crouched to pull some of the vines away. Daniel realized that there was writing on it. "The nerve," Hy'vel spat, straightening. This time Daniel really did wish to prompt him for a further explanation, but perversely held his tongue. He was hoping that Hy'vel would grow bored and leave him.

"Where is my…husband?" The word was awkward in his mouth.

"Filling out paperwork and probably yelling at the solicitors that manage our affairs in the capital." Daniel gave him a quizzical look and Hy'vel tapped his head.

"Damn convenient that, it saves so much on time and postage," Daniel said.

Hy'vel smiled and Daniel was sure he did not quite get the joke. It gave him a small measure of relief. The smile faded from Hy'vel's face and he drew closer to Daniel. "Are you happy here?"

"Of course I am!" Daniel said a bit too fast. He wished to withdraw, but his back would be against the stone if he retreated any further.

"He doesn't mistreat you?"

"Of course not!"

Hy'vel did not look convinced. "Why are you happy here then, is perhaps what I should be asking. Why are you content to live in the middle of a wasteland with my hermit of a cousin?"

"I love him." The simplicity of the answer and the utter conviction in which he said it surprised them both.

Hy'vel actually spat at that. "Love him? And he has done what to deserve it from you?" He began to pace before Daniel, up and down, if he had had a tail it would have been swishing.

"He was kind to me."

"Your love is too easily won," he sneered, "and falsely placed." He stopped before Daniel, hands clenched together behind his back. "There is nothing kind about our race, we do nothing without some ulterior motive and usually it is not in the best interest of who currently has our attention."

Daniel scoffed. "And what possible advantage could be gained from helping me? I was shattered both mentally and physically when we met, if anyone took advantage of the other it was I."

There was no clever retort to his statement, instead Hy'vel snatched one of his hands and laced his fingers with Daniel's. He held their joined hands up before them then straightened his fingers and pressed their palms together. Daniel realized that he was directing Daniel's attention to his constant tremor.

"You have no idea at all what our kind is, do you? What dark passions stir our hearts." Daniel jerked his hand away and rubbed it against his trousers.

"And why did you seek me out this time, sir?"

"To tell you that whatever relationship you think you have with my cousin was founded on a misunderstanding. I want you to leave."

"With you?" Daniel sneered.

Hy'vel was quiet a long moment. "No," he said at last, "not necessarily. Just leave, go somewhere else, go back to your world."

Daniel slashed the air between them. "That is no longer possible nor is it something I desire." He met Hy'vel's eyes; his gaze did not waver.

Hy'vel scowled. "You are a fool."

"Not quite as foolish as you may think me. Did you not say that your kind does nothing without something to gain? What do you have to gain by my breaking Rosyth's heart?"

"I think I am the only one is this world that can be said to have your best interest at heart."

"And again you contradict yourself! Did you not just say that your species is in not the least altruistic?"

Hy'vel exhaled through his nose and for a moment Daniel wondered if he meant to strike him. "I will not hide the truth from you, I do wish to wound your 'Rosyth', but over the last few days I have come to actually care about the silly little twit he has taken as his consort. Perhaps I grow foolish in my old age."

"Thank you for your concerns, but this 'silly little twit' has managed quite fine on his own. If you have nothing more to say to me, I shall continue my studies in the library."

He brushed past Hy'vel but was seized roughly by the arm. "Sir," Daniel's voice was a steady warning, but his mind was casting about for Rosyth's.

"You really have no sense of self preservation at all, do you Daniel?"

The blood drained from Daniel's face and the colors of their surroundings began to bleed into one another. "What did…How do you…" He searched for Rosyth more desperately.

"I told you, I am better at these mental games than my cousin. That is your name, isn't it? I could see it hiding in the shadowy corners of your mind, peeking out once in a while. Rather telling that for as much as you claim to love and trust your lord you have not seen fit to share your very name with him."

"I think you need to let me go." Daniel gave a mental lunge into the void, practically screaming Rosyth's name. Everything was growing grey around him and his strength was leaving to be replaced with something cold and numbing. Was this more of Hy'vel's mental tricks?

"And I think you are in need of saving. Or a least for some education." He was about to say more when a shadow rose behind Hy'vel. There was a meaty sound of flesh striking flesh and a cry of surprise followed by the sounds of a scuffle.

Daniel gave one last desperate lunge for Rosyth and finally felt a flicker of surprise in the void along with the impression of mental fingers clutching at his own. He threw a picture of the garden and a sense of urgency at him and hoped it was enough to get his point across. It was hard to hang on to Rosyth's mental hand, he could feel their fingers slipping apart as Daniel's world greyed out.

There was a yelp of pain and Daniel forced his eyes open to make sure Maria had not been the one to voice it. Hy'vel stumbled back and crashed into a hedge. He wiped away a trickle of blood that was flowing down his chin and grinned at his opponent. "I had no idea my cousin had made a version that could act as a bodyguard." He slowly circled Maria as she did the same, the hood still up over her feature. Daniel worried that it would obscure her vision, that she was going to get herself hurt.

He was struggling against the sleepiness that was threatening to drag him under. Like hell he was going to be meekly kidnapped! An idea stirred: mental tricks. Hy'vel had been bragging that he was the more adept at these mind games than Rosyth before he had attacked. If this was all in Daniel's head then maybe...

Maria crouched into an odd position. Hy'vel reeled back from it in surprise. "That stance! How do you-"

Daniel thought of iron walls sprouting up and covering his mind. He felt a satisfying snap in his head and the grey mist retreated from his vision. Hy'vel gasped and fell to his knees, clutching his head.

Maria moved, fast as a snake. She drew up her robe to give her legs more mobility and was raising her leg, aiming at Hy'vel's head. "Stop." She froze in place, balancing perfectly. "I think there has been enough excitement for one day." Rosyth walked into view, a strange metal device in his hand. It had strange wires looped around it and something about it gave off a lethal air.

"Rosyth!" Daniel got shakily to his feet. He did not have to cross over to Rosyth, the other broke into a run towards him as soon as Daniel had uttered his name.

"My love, are you hurt?" He asked as he pulled Daniel against him. Daniel noticed he kept the strange device pointed in his cousin's direction. Maria lowered her leg and went to stand by them, her hands clasped in front of her and her face demurely lowered.

"I must admit. This has been a very amusing...visit." Hy'vel said as stood. Rosyth raised the weapon at him.

"I think you have rather overstayed yourself."

Hy'vel laughed and held up his hands. "I was only trying to-"

"I do not care what you were trying to do, I am only glad my lover has the means of taking care of himself." He glanced at Maria. "And that my servants are so loyal."

The smile Hy'vel gave was nasty. "I assume I am no longer welcome here."

"My other servants are packing your things and saddling up your horse as we speak."

Hy'vel clucked his tongue. "Ah, well. I guess it will be my turn to host next."

"If you think that I will be stepping anywhere near the capital after-"

"You'll refuse a royal summons then?" Hy'vel asked, raising a brow. He immediately grimaced and rubbed his temple. "You know it is custom for ones of our rank to present our new consorts to his majesty."

Daniel looked up at Rosyth and saw him blanch. "But it is a custom that many do not bother with nowadays. His majesty is so busy-"

"But our family has ever been dear to his heart! You with your macabre little dolls, I for my...talents. I am sure he will be quite interested in your welfare. Especially since last time he saw you, you were pleading for your-"

"Enough!" Rosyth darted a glance at Daniel. His weapon lowered slowly. "It might not even occur to him to summon us." Daniel did not know if he sought to reassure Daniel or himself.

"Oh, I will make sure to mention it to him! The capital misses you, Rosyth. It has been far too long. And I am sure, Da- I am sure your lovely new partner will enjoy the splendor of a big city." Hy'vel had the temerity to drop Daniel a wink. Daniel clutched Rosyth's shirt tighter, more to restrain himself from launching himself at the other man than for comfort.

Hy'vel clapped his hands together. "It's settled then! I will tell his majesty to expect you within the week. Do dress your playmate up a bit better though, cousin. You will be showing him off to the court. I will return now and make the necessary arrangements in your apartments at the capital." He gave them an ironic little bow and turned to leave, walking as if leaving had been his intention all along and that he had not just been thrown out of their home. He slowed when he neared Maria and looked at her from the corner of his eye. She gave a curious tilt of her head as if daring him to comment. His pace was remarkably faster as he left her.

Daniel sagged against Rosyth. "At least he is gone."

"I am so sorry, I should have never left you alone, I should have never-"

Daniel placed finger against his lips. "Hush, there was no way you could predict this."

But Rosyth would not be comforted. His expression was almost haunted as he looked down on Daniel. He traced over Daniel's features with a shaking hand as if memorizing them, as if he feared that the memory of them would be all that he would have left of his lover.


	20. Chapter 20

Daniel had looked skeptical when Rosyth showed him the old shed made out of stone and proclaimed it their gateway to the capital. They had already walked several hours from the castle to reach it and Daniel was in no mood for jests. "The castle is protected," Rosyth explained, tucking an errant strand of white hair behind his ear. "My forefathers valued their privacy and did not wish for anyone to just pop in uninvited, so they made sure to enact certain protections upon the land. This is the boundary." He flung a hand at the shed. "Past it the Traveller's Locket will work and take us to our destination."

"Traveller's Locket?" Something nibbled at Daniel's mind. Alexander had mentioned it, hadn't he? Yes, it had been in one of those strange cylinders that had put words into his very brain. "Are they prone to…mishaps?"

Rosyth laughed. "They are perfectly safe! I haven't heard of one being defective since their inception. It is how all in the Empire travel great distances." He held out a necklace with a small charm dangling from it. The charm was of some metal that looked like bronze and the design was a blocky, ugly creation.

"And how you travel worlds," Daniel added as he poked it with a finger. "How does it work? Do we need to both put it on or…?"

Rosyth motioned for him to step back. He pressed the locket and a light emanated from it. Rosyth pointed it in front of Daniel and there was a horrible sound, a shrieking as if the very universe were screaming. And then reality was rent before them. There was no comforting vision of another side through this hole in the very air. Inside was only a blue glow and darkness swirling together in disturbing patterns. It was too familiar; it was how Daniel had ended up here. He took a step from it. "I do not think I can-" Rosyth grabbed his arm and pulled him through it in a quick jerk. "-do this," he finished on the other side. The other side looked to be the inside of a stone shed similar to the one they had stood before a few seconds prior.

Blinking he realized what had just transpired and watched, gaping, as Rosyth dismissed their gate with another press of the locket. Daniel ran his hands along his body, assuring himself that he had kept his clothing and that he was in one piece. It had not hurt as his first crossing had. Perhaps it was because Alexander's gate had been a bit slipshod, or maybe that gate had only reflected the pain from which it had been created.

"May I see it?" He held out his hand for the locket. Rosyth clucked his tongue and gave it to him. "How does one activate it? I do not wish to-"

"You cannot. Each one is specially keyed so only their owner may use them. The council deemed it safer that way."

Safer? From children accidentally getting hold of them and sending themselves to other realms on accident? Daniel remembered Hy'vel's small snippets hinting at the Empire's ruthlessness. More likely it was to keep the Empire's enemies from being able to cross worlds as easily as they.

"You say that there is no chance for them to malfunction. I…knew someone who had something like this and it failed him. He was stranded."

Rosyth frowned. "I can assure you that it was through no fault in its making. Perhaps it was damaged somehow. They can be destroyed through accident if one is unlucky."

"Perhaps that was it."

"Who was this person who was stranded?" Rosyth's voice was casual, almost carefully disinterested.

"The man I took to be your father."

Rosyth's eyes closed for a moment and then with a click of his tongue he reached for Daniel and led him from the room they had materialized in.

One of the memories that was clear as crystal in Daniel's shattered and slowly healing mind was his love of fairy stories when he was a child. He could not remember the person who had told him the tales, could not even summon enough of the voice to tell whether the speaker had been male or female, but the stories and the impressions they had left on him remained even through the amnesia potion's work. Among these stories of poor tailors' sons seeking their fortune and evil villains being vanquished, the stories dealing with the fey had always held a special place in his heart. When Rosyth and he had set out for the Empire's capital, the image Daniel had had in mind was a city from a fairy tale, all glass spires and pale pastels, something as magical and other as the land of crystals Rosyth had shown him in his dreams.

Daniel's first sight of the city earned a small gasp from his lips. The capital was something from his dreams all right, but more akin to his Shadow plagued nightmares. The buildings were made of dark stone and spiraled up to claw at the sky, their designs in defiance of gravity and even functionality. Daniel took a step back, colliding with Rosyth. "I am sorry," Rosyth murmured into his ear, his arm wrapping around Daniel's waist. Daniel wondered if his thoughts were bleeding out again or if his distress was just that evident.

"It is…fine. I am all right." Daniel shook him off but reached out to hold his hand. "Come. Show me around."

Rosyth smiled. "I think we should get settled into our quarters first."

"What is this place?" Daniel asked, looking over his shoulder at the building they had just exited.

"Buildings like them are scattered throughout the capital. They are the only approved places to appear in when one travel's by Locket. It's a way for the guard to keep track of who comes and goes." Rosyth looked up at an improbable balcony that overhung an alley without any sign of how it was being kept in the air. Daniel followed his gaze and noticed two men with white hair observing them. Rosyth tapped his brow and one of the guardsmen did the same, and then faded back into the darkness.

"How do they know if we are friend or foe?" Daniel pressed closer to Rosyth.

"Everyone who comes into the capital must give notice in advance. They must state the day and the hour of their arrival and which gate they will be coming in by. If anyone were to appear without notice…"

Daniel thought of the strange weapon Rosyth had brandished during their confrontation with Hy'vel. He wondered how painful a death by such an object would be.

"Come along, my love. They do not like being gawked at."

The buildings only grew more gruesome the further they progressed into the city's depths. They were twisted and gnarled things. There were attempts at decoration scattered along their sides and Daniel fervently wished that the artisans had not bothered. Cherubic faces peered out from fearsome, scaled claws and beautiful maidens with horrors for eyes were frozen forever enacting a mockery of pastoral chores. "I am sorry for anything rude I may have said about the décor of your rooms," Daniel said looking up at one tableaux painted upon one of the only buildings that was squat: a young man was lying on a slab while a ravishing woman with long white hair wrapped his entrails around her finger as if she were idly playing with a ribbon. The expression on the man's face was ecstatic. "May I ask what this building is?"

"It's one of the public libraries."

"What does that have to do with a library?" Daniel asked, stabbing a finger at the macabre painting.

"The third empress of the empire, Gres'al. She was quite fond of her books…among other things."

"I think I may be sick."

"Keep your gaze on the path then. I think you will only get more upset along the way."

* * *

Their apartments in the capital were modest. Daniel was very thankful for it; he had had enough of the Empire's "magnificence" for one day. "Are we expected to entertain while we are here?" Daniel asked as he poked his head into several of the rooms. The rooms were made of the same black material as the newer wings of their home and were sparsely furnished. Everything had a hasty, scrubbed look about it as if they had caught the house by surprise with their arrival. There was a small library tucked into a corner of one room and Daniel hoped it would be enough to keep him distracted during his free hours. He was already homesick and worried about how Maria was keeping herself in their absence. He opened another door to distract himself.

"I am not the sort to entertain. Besides, I am not exactly what those who consider themselves 'society' would want to associate with."

"Why ever not?" Daniel turned his gaze from what was likely to be their bed chamber to study Rosyth's face. A look of dread was upon his features and Daniel hurried to him. "Darling, I do not mind. I have never been one to enjoy socializing myself. Is it because our abode is so…" _sane_ "humble?"

Rosyth sighed and cupped Daniel's cheek. "It is nothing for you to worry about. I…My family has had a difficult past. That is all." He pulled away and entered the room Daniel had been peeking into. "We will probably only be asked to appear at one audience with the Emperor to introduce you as my consort and perhaps a few visits with Hy'vel."

"I do not wish to visit with Hy'vel."

Rosyth's smile was a bit smug. "We will try to get out of the invitations as much as we can then."

Daniel sat on the bed, frowning at how firm the mattress was. "When will we see this emperor?"

"Who can say? His schedule is at his whim. Whenever Hy'vel reminds him we are here probably. I might be able to try to shorten the wait by asking him for an audience myself, but the gesture could be seen as being overly bold. If they do see it as such, then our wait would be longer as punishment." Rosyth walked over to the wall and pressed his hand against the stones. Daniel was no longer surprised when the wall began to move aside to expose an opening that led out to a balcony. "You always seem to enjoy your fresh air."

Daniel walked out onto the balcony and looked over the edge. "Rosyth, it is beautiful!"

"It overlooks the National Gardens. I thought you would approve of the view." Rosyth stroked his back as Daniel took in the lushness below him. It almost put their little garden to shame. Almost. "See? Not everything of my people is filled with 'horror'."

"Do you see it that way? As disquieting?"

Rosyth gave him a long look, and then slashed the air. "No. It is all everyday to me."

"Do you not find it…beautiful then?"

Rosyth closed his eyes. "I do find some of it beautiful."

"You must not understand how I can be so appalled by it all." The thought made Daniel a bit sad, a bit lonely.

"I have done some traveling before I became lord of our keep. I do know how others view our works. I am sorry that they disturb you so."

"How do you see me?" Daniel asked on impulse. He turned to face Rosyth and leaned back against the railing.

"Lovely," Rosyth replied immediately. Daniel laughed and shook his head.

"That is not what I meant. Do you see me as a rube, as some uncultured thing due to my reactions at these things that you find common place?"

"Not at all. I find you innocent. Something uncommon in our worlds."

Daniel laughed. "Innocent? I wonder if I was ever so?"

* * *

The mattress was every bit as uncomfortable as Daniel supposed when he had sat on it. His back twinged as he rose and when he stretched it settled into place with a loud crack. Rosyth glanced at him from his seat at the writing desk, an eyebrow raised in amusement. "You were up early," Daniel said as he slowly made his way over to his lover.

"I was awakened by a summons." He tapped his temple to remind Daniel how his kind sent word to one another.

Daniel grimaced. "Are we to see the Emperor so soon?" He had not even had his morning cup of Oo-luk yet!

"No, my love, not that sort of summons." Rosyth tugged on a strand of Daniel's hair and Daniel batted away his hand. "It was a request from the royal engineers. Since I am in the capital, they have asked for my help in the maintenance of some of the…equipment in the main palace."

Daniel made a face again when he realized what this 'equipment' in all probability was. "So you are leaving me to my own devices for the day."

It made him slightly comforted that Rosyth looked distressed by it. "If I could get out of this, I swear to you I would."

"I know." Daniel patted his shoulder. "Well, at least breakfast with me before you head out."

"Of course!" He sounded appalled that Daniel thought he would leave him as soon as he had woken. Daniel turned his face to hide his smile.

Their servants in these rooms were living and Daniel hid his surprise, and relief, poorly. Rosyth noted it, but his only comment had been to turn away and sigh. The servants were not of the same folk as Rosyth's and looked akin to the first undead servant that Daniel had seen unveiled; the one Rosyth had been 'creating' in his lab. The one that set their tray before them-even here there was only one that they obviously were meant to share-had faint scales over the entirety of her flesh. The scales were of an iridescent green color that caught the light and flashed it back. Daniel remembered the dull hue of the scales on the corpse he had seen. How different life made things. Or maybe it was the soul that lent the body beauty.

"It is too early to be thinking such deep things," Rosyth remarked, taking a sip of his Oo-luk.

Daniel jerked upright. "Do not poke into my thoughts!"

"Sometimes I cannot help it." Rosyth made an imperious gesture and the servant refilled Daniel's cup.

"Thank you," he replied automatically, then realized that she could probably not understand him.

If she had an eyebrow, Daniel was sure it would have risen. His remarking upon her actions had surprised her. When Rosyth looked down to select one of the delicate pastries, she met Daniel's eyes-what a deep amber they were-and gave him the faintest of smiles. Be they alive or dead, it seemed Daniel had a way with the help.

"May I go out for a walk when you are attending your duties?" Daniel picked up a pot of a porridge looking concoction and took a cautious bite.

"Are you actually asking my permission for something?" Rosyth asked with a grin.

Daniel gave a loud huff. " _Can_ I go out while you are attending your duties?"

Rosyth considered it. "I would rather you didn't."

Daniel opened his mouth to protest, but Rosyth halted him with a raised hand. "You do not yet know the city and if you were to become lost you would have no way of asking directions." He tilted his head to the side as he took in Daniel's disappointed look. "I will try to hurry with my work and we might be able to take a tour around in the evening."

"Whatever am I to do with myself while I wait for you?"

"You have never had a problem keeping yourself occupied before. We could always ask Hy'vel to come over to keep you company," he teased.

Daniel made a sound of disgust. The expression on Rosyth's face was approving.

Daniel glanced out the window and down into the National Gardens. "Is the true reason you do not want me to wander because it is unsafe?"

Rosyth took a while to answer. "Since we have bonded," he began slowly, feeling his way for the right words, "it should not be unsafe for you. Others should see that you belong to-" Daniel made a small sound, "that we have claimed one another and the rest of my people should respect that." The slight emphasis on 'should' did not escape Daniel's notice.

"I think you worry overmuch about me, Rosyth. Who would ever accost me? It is obvious I have not a penny to my name and it is not as if I am a ravishing beauty!"

Rosyth stroked down Daniel's arm, laced their fingers together and brought his hand up to kiss the back of it. "I will try to be as quick as I can, I promise." His breath was warm against Daniel's skin.

"I know," Daniel said with a small smile.

* * *

Rosyth had scarce left when Hy'vel came to call. As Daniel was finishing his dress, he heard Hy'vel's voice below, probably asking the servant to announce him. Daniel thought hard for a full minute about whether he felt up to seeing the man who had almost kidnapped him and then made the decision to expediently escape by jumping out the window. He had observed last night that there was a sort of tree with a sturdy branch just underneath the window of their receiving room, so his actions were not as reckless as they might have seemed to a passerby. He should have taken into account his decreased strength though for his arms gave out on him, and he fell to the ground with less grace than he would have liked.

The air was knocked out of him and his tailbone smarted fiercely. As soon as he had gathered his scattered wits about him he rolled into the nearby bushes. And not a moment too soon, for he could hear Hy'vel questioning his servant in the very room he had just vacated. Her voice was soft and musical as she replied, her tone placating. Daniel thought that he would best be out of the vicinity if Hy'vel took it into his head to scout the surrounding grounds for him.

Getting to his feet was an arduous task, but once he started moving, things fell into their proper places once more. The city was a bustle even at this early hour. Street vendors had put up booths for their wares already and were hawking them to passersby. Daniel was surprised at how many of the people on the street were of races different from Rosyth's. He relaxed ever so slightly; he did not stick out quite as much as he had feared.

He walked aimless for about an hour, keeping a mental map in his head of where his apartments were. Remembering he had placed his journal and a pencil in his pocket-he had thought he would study in the library for the morning- he took them out and began to sketch out a rudimentary map. As long as he made sure to attend to it, he would have more freedom to explore than just the straight line he had been walking. Certain of the more gruesome landmarks he remembered from yesterday and it occurred to him that he was more or less retracing his steps.

He paused outside what Rosyth had deemed the library and looked up at the former empress forever immortalized upon its face. Someone tapped him on the shoulder. Daniel gasped and spun around, his journal held out in front of him as if it were a shield.

The man peered down at him and then grinned. A babble of language followed that Daniel could only shake his head at and look alarmed. The stranger tapped his head and made a gesture at Daniel, clearly an invitation.

"I have…I have never done it before." But of course the man had no way of understanding him. Daniel was about to invite the man to establish the link with him and then remembered how much time it had taken with Rosyth and how painful it had been with Hy'vel. Perhaps attempting it from his side would be the better option after all.

"Fortune favors," Daniel muttered and closed his eyes. He thought of how he connected with Maria and envisioned his mind as a hand fumbling around in the void. He brushed against nothing. Maybe more was required, there were a lot more people in the capital and if they had any sense they spent most of their time shielded to some degree. Daniel opened one eye to study the man who was peering at him, his expression clearly amused.

He was of the same race as Rosyth but even more birdlike. He was thin to the point of being a caricature, the bones in face sticking out most painfully. A pair of gold spectacles perched on his long nose and his long white hair was braided up in a surprisingly complicated configuration. The rest of his dress looked as if he had dressed in a hurry…in the dark. That he had spent what must have been a great deal of time on his hair alone was curious.

With the stranger's visage firmly held in his mind, Daniel closed his eyes again and reached out. This time his 'hand' was grasped firmly and there was the slight impression of something being woven together.

"And there we are," the stranger chirruped. "I would have offered to do it myself, but I am afraid I am not very gifted in those arts."

"How, pray, did you know that I was capable of accomplishing that?"

"Deduction!" The man held up a long, stick-like finger. When Daniel did not prompt him to continue, he deflated a bit before mustering himself to go on. "You are bonded to one of my people. You wouldn't be able to do that if you hadn't any gift for the mental arts."

"Mental arts." Daniel rubbed his temple. He himself had spent a good deal of his life not knowing he was capable of such things. Had he always had these abilities in a latent state or was it something that had been created in him through the orbs, the rituals, or the sheer dumb luck of an amnesia potion?

"I saw you admiring my building," the stranger continued in a rush as if afraid his nerve would leave him if he did not say everything in a hurry. "Do you like it?"

"Ah, yes. It is very…" Former Empress Gres'al smirked down at him. "striking."

"Thank you! Actually I shouldn't be thanking you; I had nothing to do with its creation. Been here for a millennium at least, way before my time, but I sort of took it over, so maybe it is in some small way mine." He paused to draw breath and then his eyes darted around, a frown on his face. Daniel supposed he had forgotten where he was heading with his words.

"If you are the caretaker than I am sure you are within your rights to thank me for finding it an interesting building. Think of it as you representing the library itself."

"Oh, so you do know it is a library!"

"My…" Daniel hesitated over the word to use, "My spouse pointed it out to me on the way to our quarters. I have a fondness for books, you see-"

"Then you must come in at once!" The stranger wrapped his skeletal fingers around Daniel's upper arm and began to pull him inside. "It is always slow in the mornings and I am usually bored to tears, so I would very much welcome the company! Tea! I can serve tea! Do you like tea?"

Daniel did not know what 'tea' actually was, it was another word that came across as blurred and all he could glean from the translation was that it was some sort of hot liquid. "I like Oo-luk," he replied cautiously.

The man-in all probability the head librarian- stopped tugging at him and peered down his nose at Daniel as if he were a curious specimen of butterfly. "Oo-luk? How rustic. You come from the Outerlands then?"

"Outerlands?"

"Near the Wastes."

"I suppose I must say that I live in the very midst of the Wastes, if that is what you call the great desert."

The man released him as if Daniel's shirt burned. "Oh, so you are…his…" He glanced from Daniel, to the library and then back at Daniel.

On impulse Daniel reached out and grabbed the man's shirtsleeve. "Please," _do not run_ , "Please, I would very much like a cup of… tea. You see, I suffer an old injury and have been walking around for the better part of an hour. I could do with a rest."

Still the stranger seemed to be debating fleeing to his sanctuary.

"And I would love to see your books!" Daniel said quickly. That gained him the man's steadfast attention.

"Books, yes, you did say you had a fondness for them."

"I am thinking of writing one." Daniel held up his journal. "But we can talk better inside, surely?"

"Yes, yes of course! Only…you don't think your husband will come to fetch you, do you? I dislike conflict. Positively allergic to it."

Conflict? From Rosyth? The man had a temper, but it was not quick to kindle and while it might be said that he did get easily jealous, the only time it had almost come to violence was at the instigation of Hy'vel.

"I am sure you have nothing to fear. He is working late today."

"Then by all means come in! Show me your book, let me show you mine! I've written quite a few in my time."

"My name is Daniel." Daniel offered him his hand.

The man looked down at it quizzically.

"You are meant to grasp it. It is a custom from the world I am from. It is what we do when we meet people for the first time."

"How peculiar. We don't go for touching much." Daniel thought of how Rosyth had been practically plastered to his side since they had met and smiled. "But far be it for me to offend." The man grasped his hand a bit too tightly. "Franmarrow. Now to the library and our tea!"

It struck Daniel that this was the first name he could catch in its entirety and reproduce with little problem.


	21. Chapter 21

Though the library was hideous on the outside, the inside took Daniel's breath away. This, at least, lived up to his explanations of the capital. Rows upon rows of bookshelves stretched back as far as the eye could see and reached up to the tall, domed ceiling. The dome was made of glass and Daniel, after squinting at it, could see that there was some sort of picture made from wrought iron across it, much in the same style as the windows in his castle.

Franmarrow was hovering over Daniel, anxiety writ all over his face. "It is wonderful," Daniel assured and the thin face nearly split in two as the man grinned.

"I am so glad you think so, spent a lifetime accumulating this. You should have seen it when I first took it over, disgraceful! Half the books had wandered off who knows where and there were ghaunts living up in the rafters!"

Ghaunts? The word had come through unblurred and with no accompanying picture in his mind he had no idea what his new friend was talking about. They certainly did not sound like pleasant creatures though. Franmarrow had fallen silent and resumed his hovering, faint lines between his brows as he studied Daniel. "Tea," Daniel reminded.

"Ah, yes! Tea! This way, this way!" He took Daniel by the arm as if he feared Daniel would flee and dragged him through the stacks.

"It is shocking that anyone would let this fall into disrepair," Daniel commented, eyeing the shelves with wistfulness. Hopefully Farmarrow would not object to giving him a tour later on.

"I know! I thought the very same thing. I wept when I first opened the door, wept! And then I nearly got my head taken off. Ghaunts, you know."

Daniel hoped he never did know. "However did anyone let it fall into such a state?"

Franmarrow halted and Daniel ran into his back. He turned and peered down at Daniel, his eyes anxious. "Those who care for books are…Those in Valenthral do not regard as they should…" He looked as if he might start sobbing.

"Valenthral? What is that?" Daniel asked to distract him, sorry he had touched upon what was obviously a sensitive subject.

It worked, Franmarrow was positively aghast. "Valenthral! You're in it! You walked through it all this morning!"

"Oh, so it is the name of the capital-"

"Whoever goes to a city and does not even ask for its name?!"

"I am usually quite inquisitive and I should have inquired about its name, you are right. I think the translation magic works over well at times and instead of names it gives me meanings instead."

"You had no trouble hearing it for what it is when I said it."

Daniel titled his head to the side, surprised. "You are right. I did not have any problems with it. It was the same with your name and I did realize at once how remarkable that was. How curious, I wonder why?"

Franmarrow clucked his tongue. "Tea," he said, and resumed pulling Daniel along.

Daniel was lost in thought. Whenever Rosyth or Hy'vel had mentioned the capital had the word been blurred in his mind? He was sure that it had been a few times, but why hadn't the name come through untranslated for them when it effortlessly had reached his mind from Franmarrow's?

"Here we are, the office!" It was not a separate room, but a small section of the library that was raised up from the main floor and accessible by a few steps. There was a huge desk with papers scattered all over it and books piled up on every available surface, including the floor. One chair was cleared of clutter, but Franmorrow made haste to make another chair serviceable for Daniel. He then took Daniel by the shoulder and shoved him into the chair before running off into a small alcove.

There followed the most alarming banging and clanging and just when Daniel was about to inquire if he could be of some help, Franmarrow reappeared bearing a battered tray laden with a strange object that may have been a teapot, two battered cups and plates containing something not unlike biscuits. Franmarrow did not set the tray down as much as let it slip from his fingers. Only Daniel's reflexes saved the cups and plates from the floor.

"So where were we?" The librarian threw himself into his chair and almost overturned himself. Daniel bit his lip not to laugh.

"Tea," Daniel said as he took the liberty of pouring themselves a cup. The device did not work at first and after a moment of fumbling, Daniel realized he had to push a button before tilting the thing. The 'tea' was bright green. Daniel frowned down at it.

"I mean what after the tea? I cannot remember." Franmarrow took a swig of the tea and promptly spat it back out into the cup. Daniel learned from his example and took a cautious sip. It would have been polite to call it "earthy" but it truly tasted more as if someone had poured mud into a kettle, heated it up and then served it. Daniel surreptitiously spit out his drink as well and set the cup on the table.

"Perhaps you could show me the library when we are done with our…refreshment."

"That goes without saying!" Franmarrow picked up his cup, glanced into it and then set it down again.

"Taking care of a library has a prodigious amount of paperwork." Daniel lifted up one of the sheets of paper from the table and studied the strange diagrams and notes on it.

"That is personal." Franmarrow snatched it from Daniel, looked at it and then offered it back. "It's work for the book I am writing. My newest! I've written a fair few before, not that anyone has read them much."

"And what do you write on?"

"Everything and nothing! I am currently writing about the mechanisms of the city. We have devices that have run so long we have forgotten they exist, forgotten how they work, even!"

"I can see where that would be a problem in the future."

"A problem, how?"

"Well, surely one day they will quit working or perhaps they will malfunction…" Franmarrow was looking at him as if he had said something perfectly ludicrous.

"Machines made by our engineers do not malfunction. Or quit." He paused for a moment. "Ever."

"Surely they will have to someday."

Farmarrow looked shocked. "Do you really think it possible? Do machines …just stop?"

"Of course, when they get to a certain age." Daniel swished his tea in his cup and hoped Franmarrow did not notice he had yet to take a swallow. "But I am sure you have many skilled mechanics to fix them should they fail. In fact, in our castle one of the machines that gives us our lights failed some months back and Rosyth had no trouble at all repairing it." Franmarrow's slight wince at the mention of Rosyth did not go unnoticed.

"But surely that is only because you live in such primitive- Oh dear, was that offensive?" He tapped his fingers against his mouth. Daniel smiled and shook his head, then remembered to do the slash motion in the air.

"So you are writing about these old machines because…? To inform people that they are there?"

"Yes, mostly. I thought it would be interesting to point out what gives us the power to have lights in our homes and lets us have fresh water every day. I also thought I might try to go into the history of them and thus ours as well. There obviously was a time when we didn't have these things and it might be fun to speculate what our ancestors did without and what spurred them on into creating these things in the first place."

"That does seem an admirable purpose for a book, and it is closely related to my own field of interest. In my own world I was an archeologist." He trusted the translation magic to twist the word into something Franmarrow could understand, but the librarian only looked quizzical. "It is a person who makes a study of the past. For instance, my main study was cities that had disappeared hundreds of years ago. We would try to find them and then try to recreate what life must have been like when people walked their streets."

"Why would a city disappear in just a few hundred years?"

"More than a few."

"But, but cities just don't disappear!" Franmarrow was positively scandalized.

"Some in my world have. Disaster strikes them or rivers change course and the city folk wander off…those left behind grow old and die and no young people are left to carry the city on. Then the sands or mud come in and swallow it up. People walk over our ancient towns all the time, sheep graze where once metropolises stood."

"Doesn't anyone remember though? That there used to be a city there?"

"My people are very short lived compared to yours, I think. After a few generations I assume it all gets lost."

"That's horrible!"

Daniel shrugged, then clicked his tongue. "It is just the way it has always been."

"If…If you don't mind my asking, how long do your people live?"

"Fifty years, sixty if we are lucky."

"Why, that is hardly old at all! I am three hundred and three! How do your people get anything done?"

"We manage just fine." Three hundred and three? Daniel wondered with some unease how old Rosyth was.

"How old are you?"

That drew Daniel up short. How old was he? He struggled with his memories, tried to recall what he had stumbled upon in the former Daniel's journal. He had left his…sister, his Hazel when she was sixteen and was gone to Algeria for months? Years? Had it been his first expedition after school or had he gone on a fair few before? It was so frustrating! He remembered his face in the looking glass this morning as he shaved and tried to judge his age by that.

"Not that old, I think. Maybe five and twenty?"

Franmarrow was on the verge of tears. "But that is almost at half your life!"

That was a rather bleak way of looking at it. "Perhaps. It is something we try not to think of very often. We do not mostly die from old age though. We have plagues and illnesses, starvation for some…" He was making it worse. He really had not meant to make his host weep!

"But Rosyth takes good care of me," he began, trying to make this right. "Maybe I will live longer here than if I had stayed in my home world."

Franmarrow did not notice Rosyth's name this time. He sniffed and then rubbed at his nose with his sleeve. "We will have to hope."

"I could help you if you have any questions. With your book I mean. I know many tricks to make silent, old things tell their secrets."

"You're interested then? In my work?" His melancholy was instantly forgotten.

"Of course I am! I told you it intertwines with my own interests. In addition, I must admit that I have a certain fascination with your machines. It is quite beyond what I am used to."

"You should come with me then when I explore under the city! I've only been nearly eaten by trizads once." His eyes shifted to the side. "Maybe twice…Well, three times, but I swear it will be perfectly safe!"

Traipsing around in the dark, under city dodging trizads and ghaunts would hardly go over well with his lover, and he had his own reservations besides. "I would love to, but-" Franmarrow wilted, "but I am afraid my…spouse is very overprotective of me. I have just recovered from a grave illness you see-"

"We could take Ke'thrala."

"And who or what is a Ke'thrala?"

"It is a wife. My wife, actually. In fact, she told me the next I went without her she'd chain me to the pillar in our receiving room…again. She worries about me." Franmarrow was proud of this fact.

"Ke'thrala." Daniel lingered over the name, yet another one that came into his head with no trouble at all. "Your…wife you say?"

"She's just gotten a promotion. I'm very proud of her!" He touched the elaborate braids in his hair.

Being a librarian must not pay well if his wife was forced into employment. Daniel shoved the spark of pity down; they obviously seemed happy enough and who was he to judge? "That is wonderful! What sort of work does she do?" A seamstress? A school teacher?

"City guard. She was an outrider when I first met her and then she got transferred here. I followed her and found this," he waved his hand around his head, "waiting for me. She was kind enough not to mind that I followed her. In fact, she married me for it." He ran his hand over his hair again.

"Did she do that for you?" Daniel nodded at Franmarrow's hairstyle. A member of the guard? A woman?

"Every morning! I forget to brush it for days sometimes and it drove her mad so she took it upon herself, fixing my hair that is."

The style looked very time consuming and Daniel was surprised that Franmarrow could stay still for it all. He had an image of Ke'thrala-surely a huge woman that set the valkyries to shame-attacking the long, white locks as the librarian slept and almost laughed.

"You said you were writing a book? Or were thinking of it?" Daniel started and came back to himself.

"It is just something I am thinking of to keep me occupied. I have a lot of free time at our home." Daniel took out his journal and flipped to the pages of his sketches of the ruins. "I was thinking of dusting off my archeological skills and trying to cobble together something academic on the ruins near our abode."

"The Scission," Franmarrow muttered tapping a drawing of one of the pillars.

"The what?"

"Story, an old story. Practically a myth and not important." Franmarrow flipped through the rest of the journal, pausing here and there to marvel at Daniel's scribblings; he pronounced English quaint looking and liked the sketches of the flowers. He was impressed that Daniel had learned to write the names of the flowers from only books. "I knew we were kindred spirits the moment I saw you," he said snapping the journal shut. "Come along. Enough of tea. I will show you the library."

Franmarrow prattled on and on about the history of the library since he had taken it on, much to Daniel's disappointment. Though Empress Gres'al's depictions were horrific, he would have liked to have learned how she had taken time away from her torturing to found a seat of knowledge. Franmarrow pointed out the different sections and went off on tangents that Daniel tolerated with fondness. They passed a room that seemed to be filled with bookshelves as well, but Franmarrow did not even glance aside at it.

Daniel halted. "What is in here then?"

Franmarrow sniffed. "A new addition. The only place that seems to draw in the patrons these days."

Daniel took a step inside and lights immediately turned on illuminating the small space. He recognized the contents on the shelves. He took a step back. The room did not hold books, but the canisters that held thoughts, the very same he had found scattered among Alexander's things in Brennenberg. "Why are these here?" He could not keep the disgust from his voice and, maybe unsurprisingly, Franmarrow seemed heartened by it.

"It's a new trend that has taken the capital by storm this century. Do you know what they are?" He plucked one up and held it out to Daniel who did not reach out to take it.

"They are sort of like journals I gathered. One puts one's thoughts into them to be…read later or by others."

"Originally they were meant to be ways to pass private messages between worlds, telepathy having its limits, but then some idiot decided to think his boring ramblings into them and other, bigger, idiots decided that they wanted to listen in…"

"So these are sort of like…biographies?"

"Auto-biographies of our more famous and narcissistic personages. I hope the whole room catches on fire one day, gets struck by lightning."

"Has anyone thought to put down, not personal narratives, but stories themselves into them?"

Franmarrow looked as if he had uttered a blasphemy. He tossed the canister he held carelessly back onto the shelf and stalked away. After rightening the device-a flash of a beautiful woman with a razor blade smile filled his mind- he hurried after his host, hoping he had not offended.

The library seemed a sleepy, lonely place and even after the tour had been concluded, Franmorrow was in no hurry to send Daniel on his way. It was well past lunch time-Franmorrow had thrown together a concoction that was fair inedible-when the library received its first visitors of the day. Daniel and Franmorrow were too engrossed with their work to notice that someone had entered and was making their way towards them. Franmorrow had found a book that briefly mentioned the religions of the merchant folk and was teaching Daniel how to read certain symbols and words, when a shadow fell across the pages. Both of the men started upright as if caught in the act of something illicit.

Daniel had to stifle a groan. Hy'vel stood, arms crossed over his chest and glowering down at him. "However did you find me?"

"He did not. It was simple coincidence." The voice was throaty, low and unmistakably feminine. Daniel blinked. He had not noticed that Hy'vel had brought a companion. She stood almost taller than Hy'vel, her long, white hair pulled back into a functional braid leaving her face unsoftened and harsh. The sleeveless tunic she wore showed off how lean she was and when she moved even the slightest amount, muscles rippled under the tanned skin. Daniel flushed and wondered if he should avert his eyes, but no one else seemed to notice she was basically dressed in a leather shift. Peeking at her, Daniel saw that the uniform was not as scandalous as he had first thought; there was something about it that made it appear as a uniform of sorts. He also noted that she had both a sword at her side and the same kind of curious weapon that Rosyth and the guards at the checkpoint had been armed with. Could she be…

Franmarrow's face lit up, "Ke'thrala!" Her stern face eased slightly, though she did not smile.

"Do not tell me you called the guard to find me?" Daniel whispered to Hy'vel.

"You flatter yourself over much. I was meeting with Ke'thrala to discuss a matter of personal business and she suggested that the library would afford us the privacy that we required. You being here was an accident." Hy'vel smiled. "Though I should have guessed that you would find your way to a library."

Daniel turned away and busied himself with straightening the piles of books and papers that Franmarrow had dragged out to show off. "Please do not let me detain you. Finish your meeting with the lady and I will see myself back to my accommodations."

Hy'vel looked at him for a long moment. "You can find your way back?"

"Of course I can, I am no child!"

"No, you are not. I am beginning to think that you might almost be capable of taking care of yourself."

Daniel flushed and rose so abruptly he jarred the table. Franmarrow hastily caught a stack of books before they fell, his eyes flashing from Hy'vel to Daniel, uneasy. Ke'thrala placed a hand on his shoulder. Franmarrow cleared his throat and got to his feet. "If you don't mind, I could take you on a small tour of the city before you return to your accommodations."

Daniel did not miss the small look he shot his wife out of the corner of his eye. She still did not smile, but there was a certain flicker in her eyes that betrayed approval. Her eyes then flitted to Daniel and he was instantly stricken by their color, not the gold he was used to, but a dark orange that bordered on becoming brown. "You have beautiful eyes!" he blurted out before he could stop himself. Everyone in the room seemed to draw in a breath and hold it. Franmarrow was clutching the table so hard his knuckles were turning white; he swayed slightly as if he might faint. Hy'vel was watching Ke'thrala's face, his hand not so subtlety slipping into the pocket of his coat.

She gave Hy'vel a hard glare and then raised an eyebrow at her husband. When she met Daniel's eyes she smiled, it was a small, tight thing. "My thanks." Daniel would not expect a member of the guard to have so musical a voice. "Yours are more remarkable though."

"Oh!" Daniel's hand flew up as if to hide them. The tiny smile broadened into a grin, her teeth were more sharp than Rosyth's.

"Your friend seem to have little faith in my ability to take compliments." She shot an arch look at Hy'vel's concealed weapon. Hy'vel quickly withdrew his hand and placed it on the table.

"You do have a reputation, lady." Hy'el's voice was gruff.

"That was before I was married with my Franmarrow. Besides, this young man is bonded to another himself." Her smile fell slightly into something vicious. "To your cousin? My, my. You never make things easy for yourself, do you?"

"I apologize for any offense I have given." There was a slight heat in his cheeks. Daniel hoped this was not going to come to blows after all.

"And I apologize as well. I did not realize that remarking on another's features was rude among your people," Daniel said.

She blinked and turned her attention back to Daniel. "It is not, but when one is unbonded it can be seen as…announcing one's intent. As I was unwilling to be made someone's bride, I had to be…firm."

Her tone was ominous and Daniel could imagine what the suitors must have looked like once she was done with them. "Until you met Franmarrow."

Franmarrow and Ke'thrala looked at him in surprise. Then they both laughed. "It is probably more proper to say that Ke'thrala took me to wed, than I her," Franmarrow's added.

Hy'vel grimaced. "There was nothing proper about that union."

Ke'thrala's hand fell to her weapon. "We fell in love and I would not hurt him for the world. That is what love is. A concept you may have trouble with." Her smile was once again a feral thing. "Though surprisingly not your cousin." She clapped Daniel on the shoulder. "You will join us for dinner at least once while you are here. Franmarrow." She turned her back to them and walked among the stacks, clearly expecting Hy'vel to follow her.

Franmarrow quickly ushered Daniel out the door. "But who will watch the library if you are leading me about?" he protested. "What if you should have patrons that need your help?"

Franmarrow hesitated and then pushed Daniel along the street. "I am sure Ke'thrala can manage. The library is practically self-service these days."

"However does she know Hy'vel?" He could not picture the two of them as friends and there had been something more biting in her tone towards him than teasing.

"They met a long time ago. This way. Gardens! You said you liked gardens. Let me show you the National ones!" But again Daniel dug in his heels as another thought occurred to him.

"How on earth was she able to speak to me? We did not establish any sort of-"

"She jumped on through mine. One of the perks of being bonded. Gardens!"

Daniel frowned but followed Franmarrow-it was either that or lose an arm.

* * *

To say that the National Gardens were sprawling was an understatement. "One could become lost in here," Daniel said with awe as they crossed beneath the mammoth gates and into a world of greenery and vibrant color.

"There have been stories of people starving to death!" When Daniel only looked horrified, Franmarrow quickly assured him that it did not happen so much these days. "Look at the lanterns." He pointed to a small stone on the side of the path and another one further down from it. They glowed the slightest bit, red on one side of the path, blue along the other. "The red takes you to the palace the blue to the west entrance. Gold to the east and green to the south."

"So the palace lies north. May we go see it?"

Franmarrow shivered. "Too far today! Maybe some other time."

"Those are lovely!" They were walking by tall, red flowers that stood on stalks as tall as Daniel. "They smell divine!"

"Divine? You must have different gods than ours. Ours live underground. I can't imagine them smelling so nice, living in dirt and no baths and all."

Daniel laughed. "We only have one God and he lives in the heavens." He pointed up.

Franmarrow frowned up at the sky. "Nothing good comes from above or so we're taught when we are young. And just one? Not a very ambitious people, are you?"

"We do not look for more than we need, I suppose. Not in modern times as least."

"Hm." Bored with the red flowers, he grabbed Daniel's arm and pulled him along to a bush of small, yellow buds.

"Do they have orchids here?"

"Orchids?"

Daniel opened his journal to one of the many pages he had drawn of Maria's charges. "They appear white, but when one moves they shine a faint lavender."

"I know of them. Very rare, very hard to breed. Don't know if they would be here. Maybe in the private gardens of the palace. Everyone tromps around these parts so everything is a bit on the hardy side."

"Pity. I must confess I am a little homesick for them." He cradled one of the buds in the palm of his hand. A faint gold shimmer was coming off the petals.

"You really do like living all the way out there?"

"I guess you could say that it is almost all I have ever known." Daniel continued their stroll, stopping now and then to examine a blossom. "I am sure this city has its attractions." The path widened into a clearing. It was surrounded by benches, spidery creations that seemed to crouch down as if about to spring. In the center was a fountain. A statue of a woman held up an urn, pouring out a steady stream of water into the pool below; a common enough subject for art, except she had no flesh. Where there should have been an ample bosom and a fleshy thigh, there were only metal wrought bones. Strange protrusions shot from her spine, making almost a mockery of the backs of Rosyth's people. Her face was the only thing that was beautiful and it was fashioned to give the appearance of a mask that could be placed aside at any moment to reveal the horror beneath. "But I am afraid that I cannot seem to find the appeal of city life. I would rather my small garden, my tiny library and my beloved."

Franmarrow coughed. "Ke'thrala was right? You did enter into the bonding of your own free will? Like us?"

"I do not remember any 'bonding' or any choice, but I suppose if he had asked I would have consented. Is it so rare a thing?"

Franmarrow only stared at him. "Ke'thrala was in the same battalion in the Outlands as your mate's sister. The oldest one. That is how she met Hy'veltishaith," he burst out as if he could not keep it in any longer.

"Hy…You mean Hy'vel?" Why had the name come across so clear in his mind? Still unpronounceable, but he could see the full shape of it, something impossible before. "What is my…spouse's name?"

"You've forgotten it?!"

Daniel waved at him impatiently. "Just say it, please."

Franmarrow screwed up his face as if he were about to taste something unpleasant. "Rosyth'nelaeish."

"You think in words! That is how I can understand so well!"

"What?"

"Others think in pictures or sensations, fleeting impressions that translate well enough through the mind, but if one is relying on the translation magic, certain things come across muddled: names, places…" Daniel sighed when Franmarrow did not follow. "People do not seem to take the time to order their thoughts, to…to sound everything out. But you do!"

"Naturally. I am a writer."

"I know!" Daniel almost embraced him. "Rosyth'ne…Rosyth'nal… Ah well, at least I have his name in my mind now, his proper one."

"I don't understand."

"It is like the language of the ancients, one does not have to know how their tongues formed the syllables to be able to read their words. That is what your mind is: a constant text being written out for me to puzzle out."

"Oh. I have never been one for…trying to understand that sort of thing." Franmarrow tapped his head. "It gets unnecessarily complicated."

Daniel smiled. "I am sorry, I am afraid I distracted you. You were telling me of how your wife met Hy'vete…Hy'velti…Hy'vel."

Franmarrow's eyes rose to a point above Daniel's shoulder, his expression grew alarmed. "I am afraid it will be a tale for another day."

Daniel turned and almost groaned at the sight of Rosyth running towards them. One look at Rosyth's stormy face told him that he would have to take pains to preempt a situation before it grew ugly. It would be just like Rosyth to accuse poor Franmarrow of attempting to seduce him! Daniel stepped in front of Franmarrow and forced a bright smile unto his face. "Rosyth!"

That drew up his angry lover. Daniel gestured to Franmarrow. "Look who I have met! The librarian of that lovely structure you pointed out to me yesterday!"

"You think it's lovely?" Franmarrow beamed.

It was a strain to keep the smile on his face.

"A pleasure." Rosyth offered a curt bow and then pulled Daniel against him.

 _You are too territorial at times,_ Daniel thought at him.

_And you are too trusting. Did I not ask that you not leave our rooms?_

_I…had my reasons for desiring a walk about._ He could not stop himself from remembering his flight from Hy'vel by using the tree. He felt Rosyth wince as the sensation of Daniel hitting the ground floated up between them.

Rosyth bowed again to Franmarrow, this time a bit more genteel, "I am glad to hear that my spouse had a guide to entertain him while I was away. I am sorry if it in any way distracted you from your duties."

"My duties?"

"He means the library."

"Oh. That's not a duty, it's a privilege!"

Daniel did not know if he was laughing at Franmarrow's answer or Rosyth's flummoxed expression.

"We will not keep you from your 'privilege' any longer. Thank you for the lunch and the tour."

"You'll come back, won't you?" There was something so forlorn in his voice that even Rosyth could not stand firm against it. When Daniel met his lover's eyes, the other slumped slightly in defeat. Daniel smiled at Franmarrow.

"Of course I will."

Rosyth and Daniel watched as the librarian weaved his way through the garden paths, humming to himself and fair skipping as he went. "He is a strange fellow, but a kindred spirit. He himself proclaimed it so. He too is interested in history, you see." Daniel explained as Rosyth glowered.

"He is the one married to that guard wench, is he not?"

"Ke'thrala and yes they are wed. I met her. She is very beautiful and they appear to be much in love."

Rosyth smiled, there was nothing kind in it. "A bit of a scandal when she took him as hers. What anyone could see in him-"

"And I am sure others can ask the same of you in regards to me!"

"I assure you the situation is different."

"How?"

Rosyth ran his hands through his hair. "My love, I have had a very hard day and tomorrow looks to be no better. Please, can we return to our rooms before we start arguing in the street?"

"I am sorry. I forgot myself." They walked along in silence, Daniel sticking out his hand to trail his fingers through leaves and vine. "You do know you have to tell me at some point, about your people and yourself."

"And the same could be said for you." Rosyth turned slightly to look at him. "When are we going to sit down and talk of how you found yourself at my door, how you came to be so injured and who it is who haunts your dreams?"

Daniel pushed him away and walked a few steps ahead. "I told you," he called over his shoulder. "I do not remember!"

"And why do you always have to make friends!" Rosyth shouted back.


	22. Chapter 22

"Wear this," Rosyth said, throwing the black tunic with the silver embroidery at Daniel.

"Is it not too formal?" Daniel had been planning to go to the library to receive another lesson from Franmorrow, assuming that he would have his mornings free as it had become the norm for Rosyth to leave to attend inquiries from his clients.

"Not for a meeting with the emperor." Rosyth brushed past him and attended to his own dress, combing his fingers through his hair and then pulling on a jacket of stiff, red material decorated with bits of bone and metal.

Daniel had to swallow a few times before he could trust himself to speak. "We have an audience. What…What is expected of me?" He could not help the disappointment that the audience had only taken a week to be scheduled. As much as it made him feel unfaithful to Rosyth, he had been enjoying his times alone. It was nice to be able to walk down the street, have a cup of Oo-luk-he had learned he had better prepare their tea himself-and chat with a friend. He knew this limbo could not last indefinitely, but he had hoped it would be put off at least another week. He supposed as soon as it was over, Rosyth would have them bustled off back to their humble, lonely home.

"Don't pout," Rosyth snapped. He loomed over Daniel and harshly pulled the stays at the back of the tunic, robbing Daniel of breath. "You have nothing to be nervous about. He will probably not talk to us at all. We will just be announced and he will look bored and nod us out."

"But if he should address me-"

"Then speak back to him! He is just a man, not a bloody god!"

"No need to swear." Daniel pulled away from him.

"Don't-" Rosyth raised a hand as if to clasp him and then let it fall. "My apologies, I have little love for this city and this week has been hard on me. It has tested my nerves over much."

"You should come with me to visit Franmarrow more often. The library will soothe you."

Rosyth ill hid his grimace. "His wife has little love of me."

"Why is that? I gathered she was on fairly good terms with your sister."

"And my sister is dead. Come along. I do not wish us to be late." He touched Daniel's hand, but Daniel jerked it away. When they walked through the gardens on the way to the palace it was in stony silence.

If the capital resembled a grove of dead trees clawing up at the sky, the palace was the black heart of the forest. It rose taller and blacker than all the buildings surrounding it, a black, jagged fang attempting to puncture the world and seek out its life's blood.

"There really is little of beauty in this place," Daniel mumbled to himself.

"Hush." Rosyth pulled a strand of Daniel's hair and then tucked it behind his ear.

The doors were massive and two bored guards, one man and one woman, stood before them in curious armor. The armor was of black metal with red sigils scratched into every bit of it. Daniel had to look away because the symbols seemed to be crawling over each other in some trick of the light. Rosyth spoke a word to them and the woman raised her hand causing the doors to open silently.

The interior of the castle was blinding. Where the outside had been a burnt black, the halls and floors were a highly polished, pearly white. Designs that looked to be arcane symbols decorated every available surface and when Daniel inquired about them, he was told they were for protection.

"Protection? From what?" He had gathered from Franmarrow that other races were heavily watched on this world and that the race in power was fiercely loyal to the crown. Rebellion was unheard of in their history.

"There are always dissenters." The words were brusquely said but Rosyth fidgeted and would not meet Daniel's eyes.

Undead servants were everywhere, mixed in without comment with the courtiers. Daniel shuddered. It had been so nice to be served by those who breathed as he did. He had almost forgotten how unsettling their silence was and their jerky movements which poorly imitated life. "You must have been very busy. Look at the number of them!"

"I did not have to repair every one of them. Don't be silly."

Daniel bit his tongue so he would not reply with something stinging. Rosyth had been testing him these last few days and the shape of a large argument always seemed to overhang them like a storm cloud about to burst.

The audience room for the emperor was marked, not by the grandeur of the doors for in fact they were rather plain, but on the amount of guard posted before it. Daniel and Rosyth walked between two rows of armored men and women who stood at ridged attention. A man with the hurried pace of a clerk approached them and asked Rosyth who they were and their purpose. Rosyth explained at length and Daniel watched on, frowning that Rosyth even now would not allow their bond to translate another's words.

Upon finally being ushered into the receiving room Daniel tried not visibly hesitate, though he did touch Rosyth's sleeve to gain strength. It was a room made for intimidation. There were no rounded corners or soft edges in it; everything was done in jagged spikes and edges sharp enough to cut one's finger on. The eye was drawn through the sharp angles to the throne at the end that looked to be a jumble of ivory and upon that jagged throne lounged the emperor.

He wore no crown to proclaim his title and nothing but his seat upon a throne and the nervous glances he was thrown by those seeking audience proved him to be more than a bored young man reposing with his chin in his hand. He looked no older than Rosyth, but according to Franmarrow appearance was not a good tell of how old one really was in this world.

The emperor perked up upon seeing them and his hand dropped to his knee as he straightened. The alertness with which he followed their movements was alarming and Daniel had the impression of a graceful spider watching the flies approach his web. Rosyth stopped them a few meters from the base of the throne and gave a deep bow followed by a tapping of two fingers to his heart and then a touch to his brow. Daniel was flustered. He had no idea what he was supposed to do. Should he mimic Rosyth's bow and salute? Or as a member of another race was he expected to do something different?

Angry at Rosyth for not having fully prepared him, he hurriedly made a sloppy bow of his own. When he raised his head he saw the emperor was regarding him with no little amusement. His smile made his face cruel and more angular. Daniel was struck by how _other_ he looked. With Rosyth and his friends, even Hy'vel, Daniel sometimes forgot they were an entirely different species if he was not confronted by their curious backs. This emperor though, draped in his silks and leather, his hair tucked behind ears that rose in sharp points, he looked ever so much like an elfin king. Alexander's voice rose up from Daniel's memory telling him the old German legend of the erl-king, his deep voice lending the tale a darkness that was almost seductive. It had been one of the few times the former Daniel had looked at Alexander and tried to reconstruct how the man must have looked in his younger days, thinking the baron might have been quite handsome once upon a time.

Rosyth rose from his bow and his hand found the small of Daniel's back, his touch shaking Daniel from his reverie. Rosyth fisted the fabric of the tunic and Daniel felt the tremble in his hand. For all his assurances that Daniel need not worry about the audience, Rosyth could barely hide his own anxiety. Daniel leaned until his hip brushed Rosyth's.

The emperor spoke, the words falling upon Daniel's ears with no translation arriving in his mind. _Translate for me please._ He peeked at Rosyth whose face tightened.

_No._

_Why ever not?_ But Rosyth only set his lips and did not answer.

The emperor languidly extended his hand towards Daniel and with a small, panicked glance at Rosyth, Daniel stepped forward to take it. This close he could see that the throne was made of bone and he thought of the creature that loomed over Rosyth's bed. The emperor's gold eyes only held his for a moment before he directed his attention to Rosyth, a mocking smile on his lips. His voice was slow and soft. Daniel would have mistaken the tone for teasing if not for the hard glint in his eyes. His thumbnail scraped against the underside of Daniel's wrist and he longed to go back to Rosyth's side.

Rosyth responded with a word that came across almost as a bark. Daniel was released with a pat and a murmur. He backed away, never taking his eyes from the seated man. Rosyth did not hide his haste to wrap an arm around Daniel. He made them bow in unison and quickly turned to leave.

Once outside the room Daniel realized that it had not been nerves that had made Rosyth's hand shake so, it had been fury.

"What did he say to you?"

"Nothing that bears repeating. Let us go and pack and leave this thrice damned city."

"So our union is something shameful then?"

Rosyth sighed. "Of course not." He kissed Daniel's forehead. "He only congratulated me on finally finding a mate."

"Then why-"

"Enough, my love. When we are home I will explain more, but not here where my every reaction is being watched and gauged." He grabbed Daniel's arm and spun him around to face the hall that led to the exit. Hy'vel barred their way. Rosyth jumped and then snarled a curse.

Hy'vel's eyes danced with merriment. He turned his attention to Daniel and let his gaze leisurely trail down his frame, probably to vex Rosyth even more. The smirk faded from his face and he paled. "How dare you," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Daniel shrank from the rage in those three words. Had some stray thought of Daniel's been read and caused offense? But then he noticed that Hy'vel's eyes were fixed, not upon Daniel himself, but upon his dress tunic. Daniel raised a hand to his chest and spread his fingers over it as if to hide it.

Hy'vel forced a smile to his lips, albeit a sickly one. "Well Rosyth, I know I have accused you before of being too frugal, but have you really been reduced to giving your mate your sister's hand-me-downs to wear?" Though his tone had started off light it fell to an angry snarl by the end. "You said you would take care of him."

"And I am." Rosyth took a step in front of Daniel. "What does it matter whose clothes they are if they are still in good shape and they not only fit him but flatter as well?"

"There is such a thing as propriety."

"And I should be schooled on the matter by a man who barged into my home and tried to steal my lover like a common horse thief?"

Their voices had risen and a group of spectators had gathered around them. Daniel cringed and tugged on Rosyth's arm. "Let us go somewhere we can discuss this with more rationality and not offer sport for all and sundry."

Rosyth started, having forgotten Daniel was at his side. "Yes, you're right. Let's go back to-"

"My purpose for accosting you," Hy'vel gave Daniel a bow before turning to Rosyth, "was to tell you that you've a request to fix a small mechanical problem that has arisen."

Rosyth stiffened. "What kind of machine?" And then in a more wary voice, "Why are you here, anyway?"

"I've my own summons and my own work to do today, cousin, and find I cannot get on with mine without your help."

"Surely the court engineers could-"

"But they lack your finesse."

Rosyth's hand was once again at the small of Daniel's back. "Go straight home. You remember the way, surely?"

"But-"

"A clever lad like him? Of course he remembers the way." Daniel glared at Hy'vel for his interjection.

"I do not want to leave without you." He turned to Rosyth and held on to the lapel of his coat.

"And that warms my heart, but you really do need to leave."

"Is something to happen here?"

"Just a spot of entertainment." Hy'vel gave a small laugh, but the amusement was not matched in his cold eyes.

"You will come back at once when you are finished?"

"Of course. Just promise you will not tarry or get distracted."

Daniel huffed. "Of course I will not!"

Rosyth chucked him under the chin and hurried after Hy'vel. Hy'vel grabbed Rosyth by the elbow, but his cousin pulled away from him.

Daniel watched after them to see if Rosyth would look back. He did not. The inside of the palace really was lovely, Daniel thought to himself as he followed with his toe a silver inlaid swirl in the floor. He regretted his promise to Rosyth the littlest bit for the palace's interior really was the fairy castle he had wanted when he had first arrived in this city.

His name was shouted out from behind him and his heart leapt for he thought it was Rosyth having completed whatever task he had been summoned for in record haste. The voice came again, but it was not Rosyth's low sonorous tone but someone that was distinctively feminine.

"Ke'thrala!" She was marching towards him, her pace brisk and her braid bobbing with each step. "Whatever are you doing here?"

She answered him and then stopped herself mid-sentence as she realized she could not be understood without Franmarrow. She impatiently made a sign for Daniel to establish a link and he hastily reached out to her mind.

"You do not need an invitation each time you do it. Everyone knows you are not able to speak our language and it's no breech of etiquette to reach out to be understood as soon as you are spoken to or you wish to speak." She placed her hands on her hips as she spoke.

"My apologies. I thought with something so intimate it would be best to-"

"Intimate? This?" She waved a hand vaguely between her and him. "It is no more intimate than if you smiled at me. Do you think this 'bond' a permanent one, such as the one you have with your Rosyth?"

"Is it not?"

She laughed at that and Daniel was once again struck by how lovely she was. "No, it ends as soon as we part and you re-establish it when we meet again. You must have been doing it subconsciously all this while."

Daniel examined the cuff of his tunic and pulled at an imaginary loose thread. "I am still new to this mind magic."

"Hardly magic, it is all scientific, or so I am told. Now tell me why you are here. Alone." The amusement cleared from her face and was once more the stern, blank façade she was most comfortable with.

"I came with Rosyth to be presented to the emperor."

"And he left you right after?"

"Hy'vel came with some errand. I am meant to go straight home but…"

"I see." Ke'thrala firmly grabbed Daniel's shoulder and pulled him after her, not in the direction of the entrance but towards a long gracefully curving staircase. "You will lunch with me before you leave."

"But I promised..."

"If it is some mechanical malfunction, he'll be gone for the better part of the hour and will not miss you. Take a meal with me and give me your company and then I will send you on your way."

"Th-thank you." It was the first time he had been alone with Ke'thrala without Franmarrow.

"I will not bite you, Daniel." Her lips curved up the slightest bit.

"I…only worry I will offend somehow."

"If I can put up with Franmarrow and not lose my temper, I am sure I can overlook a difference between our cultures when it occurs." She tightened her grip on him as they ascended the stairs.

The room set aside for the guard was almost barren save for a roughly fashioned table with two benches along the sides. It was a jarring contrast from the magnificence of the palace. A small chuckle escaped from Ke'thrala as she caught sight of Daniel's dismay. "Why should the good people spend on our comfort when their money can be better spent on the entertainment of the court?" She threw herself onto one of the benches and Daniel hesitantly sat opposite.

"I did not know you were a member of the palace guard."

"I am not. I usually am assigned to patrol the streets, but on these days they always pull the majority of us from our jobs to help manage the palace. People do tend to get…excited."

"Is it some sort of holiday then?"

"No."

They fell into an awkward silence. At length, Ke'thrala pulled out from under the table a bag and placed food from within it in front of Daniel and herself. "Did Franmarrow make any of this?" Daniel asked poking at a loaf of an unidentifiable substance.

Ke'thrala smiled. "No, we have a girl come in a few times a day to do the cooking."

Daniel took a bite. It tasted of spiced meat. "It is delicious, but I am sorry that you must share your food with me."

"If I had minded, I would not have offered it to you." Ke'thrala rose and walked to the lone window of the room. On the window sill was a litter of glasses and one of those curious kettles that the library had. She poured two glasses and brought them back to the table. Seeing the bright green liquid within, Daniel took it with a great show of hesitance.

"It tastes much better when Franmarrow doesn't brew it."

"Ah." Daniel took a small sip. It still had an earthy aftertaste to it but was not reminiscent of the bottom of a river. He took another drink.

"I would like to thank you." Ke'thrala said, swirling the contents of her glass around. Her orange eyes never left her cup.

"Whatever for?"

"For befriending my husband. It means a lot to him. To us."

"There is no reason to thank me for that. He is a likable fellow. I am sure he easily makes friends. In fact, I should be thanking him! I think it can be said that he is the first live friend I have made." He realized how pathetic it sounded, though true, and quickly added, "In this world."

Ke'thrala raised an eyebrow. "Not Rosyth?"

Daniel fidgeted. "Well, Rosyth is a bit…different surely…"

"Franmarrow and I started out as friends. We are still friends. Bonding does not change such things." Nor should it, hung heavily between them, unsaid.

"As I said, our situation was…different."

Ke'thrala raised her tawny eyes and met Daniel's. "Are you happy here?"

"In the capital?" His heart began to race.

She clucked her tongue. "The capital, your home, this world, are you happy?"

"Happy enough."

"Hm." She took a long drink of her tea.

"Why does everyone assume that I am unhappy? Is it where we live or…"

"Your mate." Ke'thrala swirled her tea around again. "Has he told you of himself?"

"No. Though to be fair, I have not told him much of mine." He bit his lip. It felt a worse confession than the admission that he did not think of Rosyth as a friend.

Again they lapsed into silence. Ke'thrala squirmed, opened her mouth, closed it, and then burst out: "I was not born on this world, nor was Franmarrow. We started our lives on one of the empire's colonies." She touched her eyelid gently, bringing attention to their strange hue. "And on top of that I am half blood."

"Rosyth said there was no shame in the marrying outside of his race."

A grunt of laughter escaped her. "No shame for whom? Them?" She jerked her pointed chin in the direction of the door.

A memory floated up from the well of his past. An older, brute of a boy pushing him down into the dirt and then sitting astride him, pounding until there was a ringing in Daniel's ears. Another memory came at its heels, the weight of a rock in Daniel's hand and a pool of crimson glittering in the sunlight. "Were you…Were you bullied as a child?"

"Not because of this." She gestured again at her eyes and then set her glass down with a loud thunk. She rose to her feet and paced before him, hands tightly clasped behind her back. "My father was of the Kin, my mother was an Out Blood. The union was…hard on her. When I was a child she had already lost her mind. When I reached womanhood she hung herself."

"That is-" But Ke'thrala held up a hand to stop his condolences.

"I swore to myself that I would never let that become my fate. My first memory is beholding my mother's face and then the words 'this will not be me' following soon after." She stopped before Daniel and cupped her elbows. Though the shadow of her strength showed through the flesh of her arms, there was something vulnerable in the posture. "I swore never to marry but then…"

"Franmarrow?"

She sighed through her nose. "Franmarrow. I had to protect the fool. He did not play the games of our Kin and was protected by what others perceived as his oddness and unconformity. I knew though. I knew it was only a matter of time before someone saw his scattered thoughts and brilliance and thought it a weakness. I couldn't let what happened to my mother happen to someone I…" She stumbled upon the word 'love', coloring slightly.

"Rosyth alluded there was some sort of scandal to your union."

"It was quite the scandal. You see, we entered it as equals. No one claiming to be stronger than the other, no beating into submission or shattering of spirit. Equals." The look she gave Daniel was piercing, defiant.

"Is that…not the norm?"

Her eyes closed and Daniel had the impression she was trying to keep something within her contained. She opened them again and stared at a spot just above Daniel's head. "Is it not so where you come from? Is it not so in all the worlds, that one must be weaker than the other, by force if necessary?"

"Of course not…" He thought of his world though, the world of the former Daniel. Women did have some say in their household, but was it not true that their husband's word was the final law? He thought it wise not to tell Ke'thrala that on his world she could not enjoy being a member of the guard or that she would have been forced into a more meek role or face an asylum. She must have read it on his face though, for she smiled bitterly.

"And the Kin our worse than most races, Daniel. We are bred proud, we do not break, yet we are conditioned to be attracted to… to _need_..." Her eyes were pleading with him to realize something, but Daniel was at a loss.

"I…"

She sighed and gave her braid a hard tug. "We… _They_ …There is something inside of them that does not make them seek out union with someone their equal. One person has to…break. Our society states that in unions one person must be the…dominant one and one the…the broken one. Courting is not a pretty thing between two of the Kin. The attention is always unwanted by one and the other has to...prove their suit."

Daniel thought of the sad, tired expression of the woman in the portrait in their castle, the woman who was Rosyth's mother. He felt sick. Then a hard lump began to form in the pit of his stomach as a horrible comprehension dawned. "Why are you telling me this?"

She clicked her tongue and flung her braid over one shoulder, playing with the ends. "I don't know. I felt I had to try to…to let you know that Franmarrow does not have to be your only friend? That if you should ever need my aid…"

Daniel shivered. "Do you honestly think that Rosyth would…" He touched the scars on his back. "Do you think Rosyth and I are not equals?" His tone was tarter than he meant.

"Do you truly think you are equals?" She raised her brows. "Do you think _he_ thinks that?"

Daniel rose to his feet and almost fell as his leg gave out from beneath him. Ke'thrala quickly shot out a hand to keep him upright. Daniel shoved her away and stumbled back. "How dare you. He cared for me when he could have turned me out. He nursed me, stood by my side when the world was too alien and new and my thoughts were not yet settled. He never once faltered in his caring and his kindness has been the only kindness I have known both in my own world and this one! We love each other." His voice cracked at the end.

Ke'thrala had a pitying look in her eyes. "I am not questioning that you love him, or he you. I am only saying you might not know as much as you should have when you entered this union. Did you enter the bonding willingly? Tell me that and I will leave you in peace."

Daniel opened his mouth and then realized it was to lie. He closed it again with a snap. The room was spinning and he felt too cold inside.

Ke'thrala took a small step towards him. "I promised myself that I would never become like my mother. I also swore to help those that I could from the same sort of fate."

"Rosyth is caring and compassionate, he would never break-" He winced at the rasping laugh Ke'thrala gave.

"Were you not broken from the get go? You were hurt and near dead when he found you. It was blood in the water, Daniel. He could not help himself from-"

"And you are magically different from the rest of your people? You are any better?" He was near hysterical.

"Yes, somehow. I have never had any desire to see anyone, let alone my mate, at my feet. Franmarrow is the same as well. There are also those that though they still have that instinctive arousal at those they think of as weaker, they are beginning to be aware it is something to be ashamed of. Rosyth's sister knew this, she knew that this society was damned and twisted and needed to be-"

Daniel fled the room, slamming the door behind him.

After he was sure Ke'thrala and her horrible truths were not chasing him, he slowed his pace to wander aimlessly, not earnestly seeking out the stairs that would lead him to the entrance. His thoughts were a whirlwind. The allusions of Hy'vel and the half warnings of Rosyth about his own kind all swirled together into patterns that Daniel did not want to read. She had to be wrong. Rosyth had fallen in love with him for one reason or another and surely not because he…he was… Daniel raised a hand and observed its shaking. He closed his hand into a fist. She was wrong, she had to be. Rosyth had not immediately wanted him, had nursed him and in that caring for him, love had flowered. She was mistaken…

The susurrus of a crowd made him slow his steps even further. There was a balcony off of the hallway. Peering over it Daniel found himself to be looking into a large room. There was a crowd gathered in a rough semi-circle around a mechanical object in the center. At the center of the curve was a throne and on it the emperor looking less blasé than he had been at Daniel's presentation.

There was some polite applause and a few catcalls as Hy'vel walked out to the center of the room. He offered the emperor a stylish salute which was returned with a lazy wave. Leaning forward over the railing, Daniel could make out what he believed to be his Rosyth at the very edge of the audience. He was standing mostly concealed in shadow and his arms were crossed over his chest. Something in his posture made Daniel think that the gatherers' excitement was not his own. Daniel was about to send with his mind to Rosyth, when the crowd hushed as two burly men in the garb of guards came out from beneath the balcony, between them a third man dressed in naught but a loincloth. The man was struggling between them, his voice a despairing plea. Daniel's hands on the railing tightened, the edge of the metal cutting into his palms.

The man was lifted before the object and Hy'vel fastened the prisoner's hands to the contraption. Daniel thought that he should leave, he really should leave, he did not have to bear witness to whatever this was. He could go home and wait for Rosyth and pretend this whole day had not… Hy'vel flipped a switch and the man's arms were forced into an impossible angle above his head and stretched. The snapping of bones echoed like a gunshot across the room was met with applause and a titter of laughter.

Hy'vel made a bow to the court and held out his hand. A woman bustled out of the crowd and placed a long, wicked knife into his hand. He then turned back to his victim.

The world swam before Daniel. It was not the palace of the capital that he stood in, but a dank, secret room in Brennenberg and it was not Hy'vel that strode towards the cowering man, but another with the same deadly grace and implacable purpose. And by his side was not a pretty assistant but Daniel's own dark twin who met his eyes for a moment and grinned. Alexander plunged the knife into the man's chest and cut out a small glob of flesh throwing it at the emperor's feet. The man shrieked, the crowd howled.

Daniel's knees hit the floor and he doubled over, retching up the meager meal he had shared with Ke'thrala. Tears ran hot over his cheeks and his throat burned with the sobs that were stumbling over each other to flee him. This was not real, this could not be real, not again.

Arms encircled him and his befouled face was pressed into a long, white neck. The smell of sweat and leather, the fainter scent of soap became his world. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Ke'thrala whispered rocking him. "But it is a lesson you have to learn."

He had known though. He had somehow knew in his very bones that something was wrong here, had to be wrong here, but he had lied to himself, wanting peace and love and a world free from fear. "Take me home." He thought of Rosyth watching the precedings, the torture, with bored indifference. "Take me to your home, I cannot-" A cry choked his words off.

"Of course, of course," she soothed, "You are always welcome." She helped him to his feet. Daniel looked over his shoulder, unable to resist the pull of the macabre show below. There was a pool of blood under Hy'vel's feet now and more offal littered the floor. He raised his smiling face and met Daniel's eyes. The smile died. Daniel turned away at Ke'thrala's coaxing. He scare understood the litany she was murmuring to him, "Forgive me, forgive me, but you had to learn."

Everyone's a monster.


	23. Chapter 23

It was as if Daniel had fallen under the spell of laudanum again. The world was a hazy cloud and moving through it was as tedious as trying to swim against a current. Every sense was dulled and he could not seem to focus on any one thing for longer than a few seconds. There was the murmur of voices, a door shutting, and then the softness of a mattress against his back and blankets tucked under his chin. He was shaken awake sometime later to sluggishly eat something. He could not even taste what was on his tongue and had to be spoon fed as if he were a child for he could not find the energy to lift the food to his mouth. Finally he was left alone again to face the wall and pull the blankets over his head. Daniel hoped that this time the souls of the restless dead would claim him as their own. He was tired of disappointment and false promises. He was tired to struggling to hold on to a life that gave so little reward.

He had not been asleep but staring up at the ceiling, motionless as one dead, when he heard the altercation in the room beyond. Ke'thrala's voice rose in harsh chastisement and then Rosyth's deeper voice answered and overpowered hers. Daniel stirred. He did not want to face the man who had broken faith with him, but he also did not want more blood on his hands if this spat between his lover and hostess should turn for the worse.

Standing made his head spin, but by placing a hand on the wall he was able to hobble to the door. He paused before opening it. He could not make out the words but the rise and fall of Rosyth's voice, the way it cracked on certain words, panged him. He had to close his eyes and will the tears back before he opened the door.

"He is mine and I will not stand for some traitorous whore to-"

"And I will not stand to see some abusive abomination ill use a friend!"

"You have no right to take him away and then refuse to let me see my own-"

"He came of his own accord-"

"The hells he did!" Rosyth said it loud enough that the very walls seemed to quake at his fury. Daniel must have made a small gasp for Rosyth, Ke'thrala and Franmarrow-who had been standing to the side wringing his hands-turned to look at him. Rosyth took a step towards him, fury warring with relief. "When you were not at home I was so worried. Come here, let us…" he trailed off as Daniel flinched away from his hand. "My love?"

"She is right. Ke'thrala is right, I came here of my own accord. I asked her to bring me here."

"Why in the hells would you do that?" His eyes ceaselessly searched Daniel's face as if the answers were there only waiting to be read.

"I cannot…" Tears threatened to fall and he had to turn his head away.

"What happened?" Daniel was too slow to move away from Rosyth's grasp and he had not the strength to resist being pulled against the other man. "Did something happen?" This was addressed to Ke'thrala. Daniel closed his eyes against the panic not his own that was beating against his mind through their bond. Rosyth's heart was beating fast against Daniel's cheek and he pushed himself tighter to the other man, willing that familiar tattoo to relax him as it always did.

"He saw the festivities." Ke'thrala's voice was near emotionless, but there was a sound of shifting.

Rosyth stiffened. A hand came up and pressed Daniel's head even closer to his heart. _Is this true?_

Daniel could only give a small nod.

_I told you not to tarry! How much did you-_

Daniel did not want to remember, but the chaos of what he had witnessed mixed in with the tangle of emotions that accompanied it rose up like bile. Rosyth pushed him away. "Dread Ones! What did you do to him?" He turned angrily to Ke'thrala.

"I? It was not I who established that fine tradition nor was it I that directed him to it. It was not I who stood cheering at another creature's pain and debasement." Her color was high and her eyes flashed. Daniel did not miss that her hand was now resting upon her sword. Rosyth did not miss it either, for his eyes narrowed upon her slim hand.

"Were you there?" Daniel asked, his voice frail.

"What?" Rosyth's head swiveled back to his mate, his eyes wide as if the question had been unexpected.

"Were you there? I thought I saw you standing on the edge of the crowd. You wore a look as if…as if bored with it all. Was that you?"

Rosyth opened his mouth and then closed it. His eyes darted to Ke'thrala as if seeking help, but there was no aid to be found in that quarter. She stared back at him, lips compressed into a thin, firm line. Franmarrow's hand was now upon hers, the one that was still clutching her sword.

Rosyth faced Daniel again. "I…Yes, I had to be there. To fix the…"

Daniel flinched as if struck. Of course. He had to be the one to repair Hy'vel's little entertainment device. And then he had had to stay to make sure it worked. "You looked bored," Daniel repeated, his voice pleading to be told differently. Rosyth tried to reach for him again but Daniel cringed against the wall. "Just leave me, please." He closed his eyes and turned his head away so he would not have to see the pain in Rosyth's eyes.

"You know I will not, cannot, do that. Come home with me, my love. Let's talk this over in our own bed and we shall have Maria bring us Oo-luk…" But Daniel was shaking his head and inching his way further along the wall.

"Surely you can bear one night away from each other," Ke'thrala said. Rosyth rounded on her, anger in the tight lines of his face.

Before he could speak though, Franmarrow spoke up, "He's in shock. Surely you do not want to traumatize him further? One night to settle his thoughts and I am sure he will be more rational in the morning."

"The festivities are not pleasant, you know this." Ke'thrala's voice rose up at the end as if she doubted that Rosyth did.

"Darling, do not ask this of me. Do not make me leave you even for an instant."

"I do not want to see you tonight! I do not even know if I want to see you ever again!" Daniel's voice rose to a childish wail. He clasped his hands over his mouth to keep more words and accusations from tumbling out.

All color fled Rosyth's face. "Why? I love you and I know you love-"

"You were bored!" Daniel spat. "A man was before you dying and you watched it as if it were a cloud passing across the sky. How could you find it tedious?" Daniel raked his fingers through his hair. "I…do not think I know you at all." Daniel could feel the thoughts of what Rosyth wanted to say, the angry words he wanted to hurl at Daniel, the pleas to reconsider. Instead he lowered his eyes and tilted his head to the side.

"Very well. Just for tonight though. Tomorrow we return home." He pretended not to see Daniel give a small shake of his head.

Daniel paced in his small room, counting the paces each time as if the size of the room might suddenly change on him. He must have been keeping Ke'thrala and Franmarrow from their beds, because Ke'thrala entered soon after midnight and coaxed him to lie down on the bed. He was going to wait until she left him to again rise up and resume his pacing, but she began to stroke his hair. Her strong fingers were surprisingly gentle and Daniel remembered the loving styles she made from Franmarrow's long locks. After a while, almost absentmindedly, she began to sing. Despite himself Daniel relaxed enough to be lulled to sleep.

The next morning it was not Rosyth's deep voice raised in anger that roused him, but Hy'vel's. Daniel groaned and pulled the pillow over his face. He did not care if Ke'thrala lost her temper and hurt _him_. He did not hear Ke'thrala's voice contrasting against Hy'vel's though but poor Franmarrow's flustered and excited tones. Daniel sighed and rose from the bed and went to his friend.

"I need to see him!" Hy'vel was saying, hand gripping Franmarrow's arm hard enough to make the librarian wince.

"I am pretty sure he doesn't want to see you! Especially you!"

"I need to explain myself!" Hy'vel gave him a shake and Franmarrow's spectacles almost slid off his long nose.

"How could you explain it?" Franmarrow did not sound the least bit sarcastic; he was genuinely interested in Hy'vel's answer. It almost made Daniel smile.

"Leave off, Hy'vel. For my sake." Hy'vel let go of Franmarrow causing the man to stumble back.

"Daniel!" Daniel winced at the emotions tangled up in his name: pain and hope and…shame. Such a raw, raw shame. Before he had time to react, Hy'vel was across the room and cupping Daniel's face in his hands, turning his head this way and that as if looking for signs of concussion. He apparently did not like what he saw, for the anxious look he wore did not fade. "You did not sleep well."

"I did not." Daniel closed his eyes and touched Hy'vel's wrists. He did not want those hands that had committed such atrocities touching him. Hy'vel let his hands trail from Daniel's cheeks. Daniel found himself becoming angry at the bereft look in Hy'vel's eyes. What did he expect Daniel's reaction to be? Did he expect that Daniel would throw himself into his arms, weeping and demanding answers, or worse, had he expected some sort of understanding? Daniel had come too far, been through too much, to comfort murderers. "I think you should leave. I really have no reason to talk to you ever again, nor do I have any desire to do so."

"Do you think I like doing such things?" His voice was steady but there was a slight tremble in his hands and he clutched the edges of his jacket in an attempt to hide it.

"Sir, I hardly know you and what I do know of you does not lend you a favorable impression. I cannot say what you do or do not take pleasure in. But you certainly did seem to be enjoying yourself." He added the last part with a vicious satisfaction, taking delight in the way Hy'vel rocked back from him.

"I do not take any pleasure in it! It is a job only, one I was forced into by-"

"And one you seem to have a flair for." Daniel took a step forward and Hy'vel retreated before him. "Your showmanship was very admirable; your smile never once wavered." Except it had when his eyes had met Daniel's, and that look of horror and shame that had spread across his face…Daniel tried to put it from his mind. This man did not deserve his pity.

"I tell you, I do it out of necessity, not any sort of perverse-"

"But you do take delight in it! I can see through your lies there!" Daniel remembered too much of that chapter in the former Daniel's life. He remembered well that even though there was repugnance at the deeds, there was also a sort of satisfaction that he was not the one on the rack. He remembered also the heady power that comes in holding another being's life in your hands to do with as you please, how addicting it was. "And do not tell me that it is the fault of your race or your predisposition to wallow in violence and dominance." Daniel caught Franmarrow's eye-who was discretely raising a pot to slam down on Hy'vel's head-and made the sign for no. Franmarrow lowered the pot with a certain degree of petulance.

"Don't-"

"Do not what?" Daniel's voice rose. "Do not accuse you of things that are, at their very heart, true? I would think you would be glad; you have proven every warning you have ever given me very succinctly. Your race is filled with vileness, unholy lusts and apathy, and honestly I know not which is the greater sin!"

Hy'vel grabbed his shoulders and shook him. "I'm sorry!"

"And I am telling you, you should not be! You have won! I finally realize what a horrible lot you all are and I do, finally, want to go home!" Tears coursed down his cheeks and he scrubbed at them in frustration. He did not miss the widening of Hy'vel's eyes when he saw Daniel crying nor did he miss the slight quickening of the other's breath. Daniel's lip curled up. "You, sir, disgust me. Just leave me and let us pretend that the other does not exist."

"I cannot do that," Hy'vel said almost sadly. He gently touched Daniel's cheek, rubbing away a tear with his thumb. Daniel snarled and pushed him away. After a small moment of thought he hit the other man in the shoulder with all his strength. Hy'vel merely looked surprised at the small display of violence.

Daniel tried to hit him again, this time aiming for the face, but Hy'vel caught hold of his hand. "Do you know what you did to me? What you made me relive? I despise the very air you breathe!"He struggled against Hy'vel's hold, but Hy'vel's grip never faltered.

He brought Daniel's wrist up to his mouth. "I'm sorry," he whispered against where his pulse beat. "I'm so sorry," he said again, sinking to his knees and burying his face in fabric of Daniel's nightshirt. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." His shoulders were shaking and Daniel, not knowing what to do, placed a hand on his bowed head. Looking up he met Franmarrow' eyes, both men made helpless in the face of Hy'vel's abasement.

Franmarrow finally convinced Hy'vel to leave by forcibly prying him from Daniel and loudly announcing that he would call the guard, specifically his wife. Hy'vel slunk out of the door, shoulders hunched, the very image of a beaten cur. Again Daniel had to struggle with himself to not feel sorry for the torturer; after all, he had shown little mercy to his victims. But in the end, did Daniel really have the right to judge anyone?

That thought drew him up and the heavy spirits that the surprise of Hy'vel's visit had dispelled quickly settled again upon Daniel's shoulders. Franmarrow seemed to sense that Daniel's black mood had returned and quickly urged him to get dressed to go to the library. "It's hard to stay depressed when one is busy!" If anyone else had said it, it would have come out trite, but because it was Franmarrow it was clear that the man believed it with every fiber of his being.

"I do not know if I should…" Rosyth was supposed to come calling in the morning. Daniel was suddenly ashamed that a part of him would still be sorry if he missed his lover's visit. He tried to rekindle his rage from last night and tried also to forget how comforting Rosyth's presence could be. Hy'vel's visit had been unsettling. "I am still weak from my trials yesterday," he finished, but he could see by Franmarrow's face that he had not fooled the other man.

"If you are not here, he will know to come to the library. Plus there's…" Franmarrow tapped his head.

"I have no clothes but the ones I wore last night."

"You can wear something of Ke'thrala's."

Daniel tried to quell the uneasy he felt at having to wear a woman's clothes. Apparently though he had already been doing it for quite some time…But she was dead, whispered a cold voice in his mind. Daniel shuddered.

* * *

The library was busier than Daniel had ever seen it. They had four people come in before lunch and actually ask Franmarrow to help find books on topics they were researching. Daniel tried to occupy himself with his studies, but in the end could only muster up the energy to doodle little spirals in the margins of his journal.

When the latest customer had left, Franmarrow threw himself into his seat. "That was unexpected! But a nice surprise. I do love to have visitors!"

Daniel brought out the things for a simple luncheon and distributed the plates and cups. "May I ask you something?" Daniel asked as he took his seat.

Franmarrow wilted. "I guess so."

"It is about the library and your people. Yours is not an ignorant race. You have marvels in your cities that rival anything I have ever known and your people seem to be very intelligent and perspicacious. I cannot reconcile that image with the disregard they seem to have for the library. Why is that? Do they truly no longer see the merits in knowledge?"

"Of course we respect knowledge. It's just…" Franmarrow struggled to find the right words. "Knowledge is power they think, especially in Valenthral. And if you share that knowledge with another then your power…" Franmarrow rose a skeletal hand and made a diving motion. "Or so they believe."

"I still do not quite understand."

"Ke'thrala and I come from the colonies. Resources are scare on other worlds and we share more than we horde. On this world though they have been…well, Ke'thrala would say corrupted, I would choose overly spoiled. They horde everything from each other trying not to give anyone outside of their families more resources or power that might be used against them one day. There are libraries here, vast ones that would make both our mouths water. The catch is that they are secreted in family estates and outsiders will be very damaged if they come seeking entrance."

"So people spurn this place because…"

"Because how could knowledge that was made public ever be useful? I have had to convince one council or another not to burn this place down more times than I care to recount. Even if they scorn my darling," he patted the wall closest to him, "they still fear her. There could be something here that might give others an edge, you see. Just out in plain sight, free to any who cared to look. And they are too proud to bear the shame of slinking in here to check for themselves, so better to destroy the whole thing."

"That is ghastly!"

"Isnt' it?!" Franmarrow clutched his cup to his chest. "Thankfully Ke'thrala is on my side. She has a way of explaining our views that wins people over!"

"That does not surprise me."

Franmarrow shifted in his seat. "May I ask you something now?"

Daniel hesitated for a moment too long, but finally nodded his head. "Yes, of course you can."

"What are you going to do? Do you really want to…leave? Leave this world I mean."

Daniel looked into his Oo-luk half hoping that his future would be spelt out in the leaves. He set the cup down; Oo-luk did not leave grounds he realized. "I do not know. I…am very disillusioned with everything. I thought I knew Rosyth, I thought he would not do anything to harm…" Daniel shook his head and hid his eyes with his hand. Had he really known that though? The man was happy enough desecrating the dead and making of them dancing puppets for the entertainment of the living. So what if a few people he did not know should suffer and die for the amusement of the populace? And he had never made a secret of the fact that his race was cruel.

"Did he really though?"

"What?" Daniel lowered his hand to look at Franmarrow. He was weary again and wanted to go back to sleep, to pretend he had died long ago in Brennenberg.

"Did he really hurt anyone? Hy'veltishaith is the royal torturer, Rosyth'nelaeish only…"

"Fixed the damn machine that helped Hy'vel torture. It is all semantics I am afraid, my friend." Daniel closed his eyes. "And he hurt me. I could never be with someone who condones…" Again that treacherous voice in the back of his mind chimed up, did Daniel really have the right to judge? Had he not told Rosyth more than once that anything the man had done, Daniel had at one time done worse?

"If he protested, if he walked out, what do you think would have happened to him?" Franmarrow's voice was small as if he feared rebuke at any second.

Daniel had no answer, because he did not want to admit what he knew to be true.

"He would have been executed," Franmarrow continued. "He would have been the next little display of Hy'veltishaith's prowess."

Daniel blanched. "But…But Hy'vel…"

"Is the royal executioner. And if Hy'veltishaith decided not to go to work one day, if he decided to…to…collect etchings instead for a living, how do you realistically see that turning out?"

Daniel shook his head; he almost hated Franmarrow. He did not want to absolve them of their guilt, because would not that mean…in some small way…that the former Daniel's actions could be… "An evil deed is still an evil deed. To forgive it under any circumstance is an abomination. I am not without guilt myself. I…have done terrible things. I know more than others that some things can never be forgiven…or forgotten."

Franmarrow sucked his teeth and studied the ceiling with a look of intense concentration. "It's not evil here though."

Daniel lowered his eyes. "I know."

"I don't approve of it though!" Franmarrow said in a rush. "Neither does Ke'thrala! She despises it! We would love for the world, our worlds to change, but…" He clucked his tongue. "We two are in the minority I am sorry to say."

"I do not mean to be unreasonable. It is just…my past…self…slipped into rather dark areas of morality. I…do not want to repeat the same mistakes. If I look away and forgive one or two actions…I know how quickly that can spiral out of control." Watching Alexander perform the rituals had turned into Daniel assisting had turned into Daniel performing and enjoying. Collecting the vitae from those thought to be villains had one day made it acceptable to murder an innocent family…and a small child.

"There is no easy answer. I wish I could give you one. I do not like seeing friends in pain." Franmarrow bit his lip. "We are friends, aren't we?"

Daniel smiled. It felt like a small eternity since he has smiled last and his muscles ached from it. "Of course we are friends."

"Oh good! I don't know if I ever had a friend before. Excepting Ke'thrala." He leaned over and whispered conspiratorially, "People think I am odd for some reason."

Daniel almost laughed. "I have no idea why."

"Right?!" He hurled himself back into his chair almost upsetting it. He sipped his Oo-luk and wiped his mouth with his sleeve. "Rosyth's sister tried to change it all, you know."

Daniel shivered. "Tried to change what?"

Franmarrow made a gesture around his head. "The world. She failed."

Daniel had to clutch his hands together to keep them from shaking. "What happened to her?"

"She was…dealt with."

"And the rest of the family?"

Franmarrow stood up abruptly. "I shouldn't be the one to tell you this story."

"Franmarrow!"

"They were housing a traitor to the throne." He set his cup down and quickly descended the stairs. Daniel had to catch his sleeve to stop him from running off into the stacks to hide.

"They were exe…? That is horrible!"

"It's the norm here."

"How did Rosyth survive?"

Franmarrow shuddered. "That is definitely a conversation you need to have with someone else. In truth, I don't know more than rumor and conjecture." Franmarrow held up his hands to stop Daniel from questioning him further.

"But…" As soon as Daniel relaxed his hold, Franmarrow was off. Daniel did not see him again until it was time for the library to close.

* * *

Franmarrow and Ke'thrala lived in a humble abode on a street closely packed with other buildings such as theirs. In truth, it was only humble compared to Daniel's new home in the Wastes. The former Daniel would have given anything for the luxury of the four room apartment. There was even a bathing chamber! There was little decoration in the rooms: a display of weapons along one wall, some etchings on the other and piles of books on the floor making treading in the dark difficult. Daniel loved it. Stepping within its walls was like being embraced by an old friend.

After their servant-thankfully of the living variety-had laid out their supper, she took her leave for the night. Ke'thrala's shift had ended early enough that she could join them. Conversation was a bit stilted, the couple obviously straining not to bring up anything that might cause Daniel pain-until Daniel reminded Franmarrow that the library had actually received customers that day. Franmarrow took the topic and ran with it, chatting happily to his wife about what they wanted, how he had helped them and even what they had worn. Ke'thrala then told a few anecdotes from her day, the most notable being trying to coax a drunkard down from a tree. Daniel let himself relax.

When they were through with dinner, Daniel helped Ke'thrala clear the plates and Franmarrow bustled off to look for a book he thought might interest Daniel. "Thank you. For letting me stay. I will not trouble you for long."

Ke'thrala was silent for a moment. "You can trouble us," she said at last. "You can trouble us for as long as you want to. In fact, I would rather you stay here with us from now on."

"I…Thank you." He did not know how to feel that Ke'thrala wanted to keep an eye on him or about the invitation to stay longer in this accursed capital.

Rosyth never came. Daniel glanced at the door repeatedly throughout the night, strained his ears for the sound of that familiar tread upon the stair…but there was nothing. He was tempted to use his telepathy to reach out, but a perverse need to make the other man suffer held him in. Perhaps Rosyth was too ashamed to face him. Or perhaps he realized that Daniel was too much trouble to keep. The thought hollowed him out inside, made his heart shrivel.

Daniel tossed and turned that night, unable to sleep. After the twelfth time of getting his legs tangled up in the sheets and having to free himself, he decided to give up. He grabbed a robe and threw it on. Walking over to the far wall, he swiped his hand over it, revealing a small opening which led to the lone balcony the apartment boasted. No view of gardens here. Just the urban sprawl of buildings and streets for as far as the eye could see. It still had a certain loveliness though. The windows lit up against the night gave the appearance of visiting stars. The streets in Mayfair had been so dark and dank. It was funny how such a clean, beautiful place could hide such atrocities.

He leaned his forearms on the railing and thought about Rosyth. He wondered what the other man was doing, if he was worrying about Daniel and thinking of ways to make this right again. Daniel could not shake the gnawing concern that he had been forsaken. Apparently the man had almost died from being associated with treason once. Why would he accept the risk that would come from housing again a being who abhorred the common practices of his people?

The stone whizzing by his head made him squeak, snapping him from his melancholy. Daniel peered over the railing, set to give the person aiming at him a firm piece of his mind. Hy'vel grinned awkwardly up at him. "What in the hell are you doing? You almost clipped my ear!"

"I wanted your attention."

"You could have bloodly well have said my name!"

"I think this method made you more agreeable to talk with me."

Daniel cursed. "Well, you have my attention. What is it you want?"

"Could you come down? I want to speak to you face to face."

Daniel thought about sneaking his way past his friends' bedroom and then picking his way carefully through the maze of books. He shook his head. "There is no way."

"And I thought you were fond of throwing yourself from balconies!"

It took more effort than he would care to admit to not stick his tongue out at the man below him.

"I will just have to come to you then."

"And how do you propose-" Daniel yelped and reeled back as Hy'vel skillfully jumped from one side of a building back to theirs, back again and then with a final spring, grabbed the railings to pull himself up.

"Are you half ape?" Daniel clutched his robe tightly, his eyes wide with shock.

"What was that?" Hy'vel dusted himself off and fixed his clothing.

"Nothing. That was…very impressive."

"We often did such things as children, I, Rosyth…and his sister. Didn't you?"

"I read…I think." Daniel did seem to remember most of his childhood had been spent in exercise though. He had become very adept at running away from things, a talent that served him well later on in life.

Hy'vel clucked his tongue and crossed his arms. He leaned against the wall and studied Daniel. "You look a bit better than this morning. Less shaken."

"No thanks to you!" It was a lie though. It had been Hy'vel's sudden visit that had made Daniel snap out of his stupor. "Why have you come here? If it is to ask for forgiveness, I assure you, you will leave unsatisfied."

"I know." Hy'vel's face revealed nothing. "Nor am I asking for any. I do not deserve to ask for it."

Daniel leaned back against the railing and crossed his arms, mirroring Hy'vel. "So why did you come?"

"To make sure you were all right." Hy'vel kicked at an imaginary pebble. "I never wanted you to see me that way. Not you."

"Well, I did."

They lapsed into silence. Daniel wanted to ask if Hy'vel had spoken to Rosyth and as if reading his thoughts, Hy'vel quickly said, "Did you mean it? What you said earlier today? If you want I can get a Traveller's Locket and be gone with you by dawn."

"I am not propositioning that we run away together, Hy'vel."

"I…did not mean to imply…" He fiddled with the cuff of his jacket, not meeting Daniel's eyes until he had regained his composure. "Do you realize now what I have been trying to tell you? This place is evil and you need to leave it."

"I could go back to our keep and vow never to set foot here again. I am sure Rosyth would approve." He gasped as Hy'vel closed the distance between them and grasped Daniel by the arms. Hy'vel gave Daniel a rough shake.

"Why do you cleave to him so even now? He dragged you here and-"

"We came at _your_ invitation. I am here because you wanted me to see these things; you wanted me to see you as a monster. Do not dare try to tell me differently now!"

"I didn't! Not me, not like that. I did want you disillusioned, to see the reality of what we are, what your Rosyth is, but the way you look at me now…I can't bear it."

Daniel shrugged out of his hold, but there was no way to step back from the other man, the railing was pressing into his back. "Why does it matter what I think of you?"

"Because you remind me of someone. Someone I should have protected." He lightly touched Daniel's cheek.

Daniel jerked his head, dislodging Hy'vel's fingers.

"Come away with me. I will take you anywhere you desire. Let us leave this cursed place."

"And what of Rosyth?"

"What of him? Let him go back to his decrepit castle and rot there."

"What did he ever do to you?"

"He took my very world from me." Hy'vel was leaning closer, his hand tangling in Daniel's hair. Daniel drew in a sharp breath. His hands on Hy'vel's arms were shaking and he remembered Ke'thrala's words about weakness, 'blood in the water'.

"You said you were not propositioning me!"

Hy'vel froze. "So I did." By the time Daniel thought to put his hands against Hy'vel's chest and push the other man was stepping away. Daniel wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. Hy'vel raked his long hair back from his face. "I am truly sorry. I just cannot seem to make things come out right when it comes to you." Then he swung himself over the side of the balcony.

Daniel made a small, choked sound and ran to the front of the balcony. Hy'vel had safely landed below and was rising from a crouch. "Just make me one promise," he called out.

"That depends entirely on the promise."

"Promise to take care of yourself instead of doing what you think you have to. You don't owe anyone anything, Daniel."

"I am not with Rosyth out of duty!" But Hy'vel was already walking away. Daniel groaned. Did Hy'vel truly think that the only reason Daniel was with Rosyth was some sort of payback for nursing him? He touched his face. "Someone you knew, someone you should have protected," he whispered to himself. He recalled Hy'vel's eyes when he had first met Daniel, that flash almost akin to recognition. Uneasiness began to settle upon him. Resolve be damned, he reached out to Rosyth mentally…and nothing answered him.


	24. Chapter 24

Daniel was able to snatch a few hours of sleep before dawn roused the household. He was awaken by the rattle of the front door as the servant let herself in and soon the smell of breakfast cooking wafted under the bedroom door. He put a hand to his belly and pressed in, trying to stifle the growling. He was glad to see his appetite had returned. Rising, he automatically opened the closet door before remembering that it would be bare; he had left all his clothing at their apartment. His good mood withered. He supposed he should be the gentleman and go over and talk to Rosyth this morning. Even if the man had decided to place Daniel aside, Daniel could still collect his few belongings. The fact that he could think of their relationship being over… He remembered the night they spent in the ruins, the way Rosyth had held him and had whispered over and over his undying love into Daniel's hair as they fell asleep. How could that be over in an instant? Without even a fight? He was no longer hungry.

His knees buckled and he had to sit on the bed. He wanted so terribly to make this right again, but he had no idea how. Again he reached out to Rosyth's mind and again there was nothing but eerie silence. There was not even the faint glow that would tell where his location was. An uncomfortable thought struck Daniel: What if Rosyth had already left Daniel behind? The thought of walking to their apartments and finding them empty…It would break Daniel's heart.

There was a small scratch at the door and then Ke'thrala was poking her head in. She had not yet braided her hair, or even brushed it. It flowed across her shoulders in a wild mane. Daniel had the urge to sketch her. She would be the consummate Diana having just returned from the hunt. "The food is ready. Do you feel hungry?"

"Yes," Daniel lied.

She sensed his duplicity and frowned. "Just try to eat a few bites, Daniel. I don't wish for you to come down ill on top of everything else you've been going through."

"Do not feel sorry for me. I have brought this down upon myself."

She gave him an odd look. "Don't say that. You're not the one who has done anything wrong, but the one who was wronged."

Daniel wanted to argue with her, but she had already walked off. It was unfair, he thought, that everyone seemed to be blaming Rosyth. Even Daniel himself had been at fault for this. Had the man done anything wrong to Daniel himself? Franmarrow had made a good point about that the other day. Certainly there was the fact that Rosyth had not told him of their bond or even that he had made it, but they had been in love. When one was in love, how could they master their passions? Or so said the poets that he could remember, Daniel was sure he had had no knowledge of love first hand before the Damascus Rose draught.

The small talk at the table was better this morning. Franmarrow was expecting a shipment of books from one of the colonies and talked about it animatedly with Daniel, flinging more of his food than he was placing in his mouth. Ke'thrala had a fond smile on her face as she braided her husband's hair for the day. She still had not tended to her own. Daniel was rather pleased to see it still untamed. He tried to commit the image to memory as much as possible. He had every intention of drawing her as soon as he had a free moment. Perhaps he could offer it to them as some sort of gift, a thanks for acting his gracious hosts while he sorted out his problems.

"We can leave when Ke'thrala goes to her shift in about an hour," Franmarrow was saying. Daniel started, remembering what he had decided in his bedroom.

"I do not think I will be going to the library this day. Well, maybe, but I will be a late." He went on, uneasy with both their stares upon him, "I thought I would go talk to Rosyth, at the very least to get some clothes."

"I can go," Ke'thrala said rather quickly. "I can stop by on my lunch break. It will take no time at all to get your things and bring them here."

Daniel fidgeted. "Thank you, that is very kind. But the real purpose, at heart, is to talk to my… to talk to Rosyth."

"The library can stand to open a few minutes late. Let me go with you." Franmarrow said after a moment's hesitation.

"I do not need protection from him! Though thank you," Daniel hastily added, unwilling to offend.

Ke'thrala held his gaze for a long moment. She was the first to look away. Franmarrow yelped as she pulled too hard on a strand of his hair. "Contact one of us if it takes a turn for the worse. Promise that."

"I have confidence that it will not-"

"Promise me."

"I promise."

She huffed and devoted all of her concentration upon her husband's hair. Franmarrow smiled the slightest bit at Daniel, making sure that his head was lowered enough that Ke'thrala could not catch a glimpse of it. At least someone approved of his plan to try to patch things up with Rosyth.

Borrowing clothes from Ke'thrala was proven unnecessary with a knock at their door. A deliveryman pushed a parcel into Franmarrow's startled arms and left as abruptly as he had come. "It's for you." Franmarrow held out the package to Daniel. Daniel took it with a good degree of trepidation. "Who is it from?"

"There might be a letter inside," Franmarrow suggested.

The package contained several changes of clothes. Daniel felt hope stirring within him, perhaps this was a gift from Rosyth, some token to show he still cared, that he was not upset that Daniel had had to stay away until both their heads had cooled. At the heels of his elation though was another thought, perhaps this was Rosyth's way of ending their relationship, sending new clothes for him to start a new life.

"It must be from Hy'vel," Ke'thrala said with a sniff. "He is overly fond of that horrid choice of colors."

"What?" It had not even entered Daniel's mind that anyone other than Rosyth could have sent them.

Franmarrow plucked a piece of paper off the floor that must have fluttered from the clothes unnoticed. Franmarrow glanced at it. "You're right, dear it was Hy'vel. Here is the says here that he is sorry the conversation last night took such an unpleasant turn and he hopes this will act as a token of apology."

"Last night?" Ke'thrala put her hands on her hips.

Daniel could not meet her eyes. "He might have come by my window to talk some things out."

Ke'thrala sighed and stalked off to her room, muttering to herself. Daniel could only pick out the phrases: "Damn fools, the both of them!" and "Going to have to keep him under watch."

"I am glad I didn't read all of it in front of her!"

"What else does it say?"

"He had added a postscript saying that he was sure you would be happy not to have to wear women's clothing anymore!"

Daniel flushed and snatched the card out of Franmarrow's hand. He scooped up the outfits from the floor, bundled them into a wad and carried them into his room. Franmarrow was laughing softly behind him. It was not quite the dignified exit he had wanted; he had to call his friend to his room because he could not figure out how to put the damn things on.

The material was finer than what Daniel was used to, but instead of feeling luxuriant, it made Daniel feel impractical. This was not an outfit he could help Rosyth with his machines in. He had chosen the turquoise shirt as it had seemed the less elaborate. He discovered though that instead of it being a matter of pulling it on over one's head, it required a series of sashes done up the sides and back to keep it in place. Though he trusted Franmarrow's knots-and Ke'thrala's judgment as she had double-checked them afterwards-Daniel still lived in fear that the whole thing would come undone at any moment.

Franmarrow had suggested the pair of skintight green, scaled trousers, but Daniel settled on the unassuming black pair instead. He already felt enough of an eyesore. He could tell by Ke'thrala's face that she agreed. "You really should let me do something with your hair," she said, shooting a baleful glance at the barely combed through mop on top of Daniel's head.

"There is no need for that. Besides, you cannot spare me the time. If we all do not leave now, you two will be late for work."

Grumbling and with added cautions, the three parted ways.

The city was still half asleep. Store venders were trickling in with their wagons of wares and those lucky enough to own shops were seen through windows giving everything a once over with rags. Only a few other people were out walking. Daniel wondered if he should drop them a nod or touch an imaginary hat as he walked past, but they seemed to be caught up in their own thoughts and paid him no mind.

In his thoughts he practiced over and over what he would say to Rosyth. He rehearsed different scenarios and probable outcomes until his head began to ache. All too soon the familiar door came into view and Daniel halted before it. His hand was shaking as he extended it to knock. He lowered it before his knuckles could graze the wood. He lived here, there was no need to have to act the common caller. There was nothing keeping him from walking in unannounced. He tried the door. It was locked.

His heart pounding so loudly he could feel it in his throat, Daniel rapped impatiently on the door. No one answered. He pounded harder and when that provoked no response, he ran into the garden seeking the balcony to their bedroom. There was the balcony, but where the entrance should have been was solid stone. Despite this Daniel raised his voice, calling out to Rosyth. Nothing, not even a flicker in his mind. He tried again louder. Several passersby looked at him strangely. Daniel reached out with his mind, grasping in the dark with a desperation he had not felt since he had first awakened as himself. And still he was met by an awful, implacable silence. Giving into despair, he sunk to his knees and hid his face from the world.

He had not wanted to go to the library in the end. He could not face Franmarrow and his oblivious good cheer or Ke'thrala with her badly concealed 'I thought it would be like this' expression. Instead he wandered around the city, whether hoping to get lost or stabbed he could not say. No one was obliging with the latter. No one even gave him a second glance. He never would have thought that he could be so anonymous in a city filled with such spectacular beings. Then again, he thought as a woman with a glorious display of plumage where her hair should have been passed him, in the face of all this, why would anyone notice someone as common as him?

He found a bridge arching over a river and sat down on it, legs hanging over the side. Looking into the waters he idly checked for fish. There were none. Where did the Kaernk call their home, he wondered with a shudder.

Presently he was aware that the light was fading. Was he about to faint? He had missed lunch after all. Looking up he frowned. It was approaching dusk. He got up in a hurry and brushed himself off. Poor Franmarrow was probably worried sick about him, and if he had told Ke'thrala that Daniel had never come in… He paused when he caught sight of the tall, lean figure relaxing against the opposite side of the bridge. For one instant he debated running away, unwilling to face the confrontation now that it was here, but in the end he squared his shoulders and took a step towards Rosyth.

"What are you doing here?"

"Making sure you weren't going to throw yourself in." Rosyth studied his face. "You look like death warmed over."

"Thank you. You look the picture of health yourself." It was a lie though and by his grimace, Rosyth knew it. While Daniel only had a more pronounced paleness to his complexion and darker circles under his eyes, Rosyth was positively haggard. His hair hung in lank strands around his face and, though it had been little more than a day since they had last met, there was a gauntness in his cheeks. "Darling, have you not been taking care of yourself?" Rosyth flinched at the endearment.

"I've had…much to think about. Come, I will see you to your new home." He held out his hand but dropped it before Daniel could take it.

"I would rather go to our apartments. We need to talk, surely."

"We can talk on the way."

"Rosyth, please." Daniel reached out and grabbed Rosyth by the shirtsleeve. Rosyth spun around and held Daniel roughly by the arms.

"Don't 'Rosyth' me." He shook him. "And don't look so forlorn." Rosyth released him and stalked off down the street leaving Daniel to chase after him.

When they finally stopped in front of the building Ke'thrala and Franmarrow resided in, Daniel tried one more time to plead for Rosyth to talk to him. "I am sorry if I hurt you, but please, let us-" Rosyth pushed him against the wall, a hand around his throat.

"Stop it!" His eyes were feral and his mouth set in a grim snarl. Daniel only regarded him with shock and hurt. The fierce façade crumbled before his eyes. "I am only trying to do right by you. Let me. Let me do the _right_ thing at least once in my life." He let Daniel go and took a step back.

"You have always done right by me," Daniel said, touching his throat.

Rosyth looked tired and he made the slash sign for 'no' between them. "I have always acted selfishly when it came to you. I was afraid of losing you to yourself and then afraid of losing you to Hy'vel…Losing you because of me. And that's the one that had to come true." He gave a small laugh.

"You have not lost me, Rosyth!"

Rosyth smiled. "I should though. I was a fool to think I could keep you, that I should keep you. As if the gods would bless me with…" He gestured at Daniel.

"You aren't keeping me, you arrogant fool. I chose to stay with you. I still choose-" Rosyth put a hand over Daniel's mouth to stay his words. The slight tremor in his fingers belied that if Daniel continued to speak that he would come undone.

"My love, please. Let me do this one selfless thing." He removed his hand from Daniel's face and touched the collar of the turquoise shirt. "This is lovely. This is how you should look, this is how I should have been taking care of you."

"Now you are being entirely silly!" Daniel grabbed his hand and pressed it to his heart. "Come inside."

Rosyth pulled his hand away. "No. I came to…This is goodbye. I will send you money once a month to live off. Even if we are no longer married in truth, I will still do my duty by you. Pay them rent," he jerked his head up at the apartment, "or get a place of your own, I care not. Just…be happy."

Daniel could feel the blood draining from his face. "What on earth do you mean?"

"This suits you better than my small keep in the middle of nowhere. I knew you had a love of culture, that you thirsted for more knowledge and I denied you because…I wanted you all to myself. This city will treat you better than I ever could and you have friends here."

"I have friends at the keep as well!"

"A merchant that comes once a month and a dead girl. Stay here with the living and forget about me. Live and grow and maybe one day you can forget whatever shadows plague you from your past. Gods' know I was not able to keep them at bay."

"You did though! You are what started me on the road to recovery. You were…are the one stable thing I know I can depend on." Daniel shook his head. "And you mean to leave me is this city that is the very heart of nightmare?"

"One aspect of it is unbearable to you. There are many wonders here and many things for you to do you research upon. You will grow to love it, you will flourish here."

"I-"

"Goodbye." He darted forward and pressed a bruising kiss to Daniel's lips. There was a pulling sensation in his head, as if a curtain was being drawn over his consciousness. When it withdrew Daniel was standing in the street awakening from a daze. Rosyth was nowhere to be seen.

He could not even summon up the pretense of civility when he entered the apartment. He walked past Ke'thrala and Franmarrow, ignoring their greetings and inquiries, and went straight to his bedroom. Not taking his clothes off, he laid out on the bed, hands clenched over his stomach and eyes fixed on the ceiling above. Why did he always manage to make such a spectacular mess of things? Yes, he had been upset at Rosyth, and his very world, but he had never thought that their union would end so…would end!

"You're a fool, Daniel," he muttered. The more things change, the more they stay the same, he supposed. He was not so very different from his former self after all.

Franmarrow stuck his head in. "Do you plan to eat at all?" When Daniel did not reply, he edged into the room. He approached Daniel's bedside like most men would sneak up upon a wild beast. "I missed you at the library today. I was worried sick. Ke'thrala told me to leave you to yourself though. She said it would be healthy for you." He pushed his glasses higher up on his nose and peered at Daniel. "You don't look healthy though." Daniel turned his back to him.

Franmarrow took the liberty of perching on the edge of the bed. "Did you see him then? You did, didn't you? And judging by your dejected look and excessive sighing, he is doing something noble and stupid."

Daniel turned back to face him. "It is stupid, isn't it?" he said after a moment's though.

"Ke'thrala thinks it best if you two part ways, that he won't do you any good." He bit his lip as if trying to keep more words inside.

"What do you think?" Daniel asked.

And out the words poured. "That each couple is different and it's not up to others to decide what is 'right' or what is 'wrong' for any other being as long as everyone is consenting! Why, if we had listened to our elders and our betters, we would never have been wed! She was a hot tempered brute and I was…Well, I was me."

"Rosyth has decided he does not want me." Daniel's voice was a small, fragile thing.

Franmarrow made a sound of disgust. "Rosyth spends too much time by himself and his desert. Some people think the only romances worth having are the tragic kind." Franmarrow gave Daniel a sharp look. "I think you suffer from the same ailment."

"What would you have me do then?" Daniel snapped back.

"Whatever you damn well want. If you want to stay here, then stay. If you want to leave…No one will stop you but yourself. You and only you get to decide what is right and what is wrong, for you, Daniel. Let no other entity tell you differently."

"You...are much more perceptive then you let on."

"It's easy to do, misjudging me," Franmarrow said, waving the comment aside. He rose from the bed and stopped at the door to look over his shoulder. "I would advise you to think long and hard on what you want. And also this: I didn't win Ke'thrala's good favor by staying home and moping, I had to chase her across three worlds!" Then he was gone.

Daniel sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He folded his hands together and rested his forehead against them. Franmarrow's words mixed with Rosyth's in his mind. Rosyth's fits of jealousy, his over protectiveness…How stricken he had seemed when Daniel had told him he did not know if he ever wanted to see him again. And among the swirl of hurt that had become the center of his heart, he felt something else being born: anger. How dare Rosyth think he would set Daniel aside so easily! That their love was something so easily given up on!

Daniel closed his eyes and sought out Rosyth's mind. There was nothing but the blackness of the void, but he did not let that daunt him. A bond needed two points, surely. So Daniel looked in his own mind and searched for something within himself that conjured the feeling of a rope or a string. He finally found it, a thin, wispy thing that felt as if glowed gold against his thought-hand which grasped it. Now to follow it to the other end…

An image of a brick wall rose up before him, the string continuing through it. Daniel paused to think of a strategy. Tact had never served him well, in this life or his last. He imagined a huge fist and struck the wall with the entire might of his mind. His head burst into a flower of pain, but the wall buckled slightly. Heartened, he did it again, then again. Finally, when the headache was almost blinding, the wall collapsed. Rosyth stood in the rubble looking at Daniel in complete shock. Daniel quickly reached out for the warm spark that would tell him Rosyth's location. _STAY_ , he ordered the befuddled man and opened his eyes to the material world.

God, did his head hurt. He hoped Rosyth's was aching as well. He shakily got to his feet and stumbled to the door. "Daniel, dinner is almost ready! Where are you going?" Ke'thrala called out.

"Somewhere I should have gone days ago!" Sitting and cringing in a room had been the old Daniel's forte. He kept forgetting one important thing: 'Daniel' had died a long time ago, victim to his own cowardice. In his place Daniel had been born, and this Daniel was a survivor and in his own meek way, a fighter. This Daniel would never lose something precious because of a paltry thing such as fear!

Rosyth's spark stayed in place, a beacon in the darkness that only Daniel could feel in his heart. He was glad that Rosyth seemed to be heeding his order. Remembering the strength with which he had blasted the single word into the other man's mind though, he wondered if perhaps he had stunned Rosyth into immobility.

The spark was not leading Daniel to their apartments he realized when he entered the National Gardens. The glow was deep within the heart of the place, deeper than Daniel had ever wandered before. He made quite the spectacle he was sure when he burst forth from the vegetation into a quiet grotto. There was a small waterfall feeding a pool that glowed ethereally blue and which was surrounded by rocks. Daniel started as he realized that the place was completely illuminated against the newly fallen night. Casting about he found the source of the soft glow. There were more stones placed strategically around the grotto and these gave off the light.

Rosyth's back was turned to him and he did not move his gaze from his contemplation of the depths of the pool. "Well?" he asked when Daniel did not speak.

It took a moment for Daniel to answer; the mad dash to Rosyth's side had left him horribly winded. He crouched to rest his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. Rosyth finally faced him, one eyebrow rose as he saw the state Daniel was in. "You gave me a headache," he finally said.

"I am not sorry," Daniel said as he straightened up. Rosyth clicked his tongue. Daniel stared at him, the absence of him and the hurt it had caused him finally sinking in only when he was in front of Daniel again. "I do not like this shirt," Daniel burst out, plucking at the slightly gleaming material.

Rosyth had clearly not been expecting the comment and he could not summon a reply before Daniel went on in a rush. "It is too impractical. I could never help you in the workshop in it. I like something worn and…and comfortable. Something I can relax in and not have to worry about tearing because it was expensive or… I prefer the clothes I already have. The ones at our home. _My_ clothes."

"I can send them to you," Rosyth said with a degree of caution.

Daniel stomped his foot. "You bloody fool of a man; I am not really talking about clothes!"

After a long pause, Rosyth said, "I know." He sighed. "Darling, do you really need me to list the reasons why we should not be together? Shall I write them all out so you might practice your reading? It would be long enough to occupy you for a few weeks."

"I told you once, whatever sins you have committed, I have done my fair share as well."

A tired slash in the air. "I…My family…"

"I know."

Rosyth froze in place. Finally he closed his eyes. "That bitch."

"No, it was Franmarrow. I know about your sister and how your family was executed and I do not care!"

Rosyth's eyes sprang open. "What?"

"I do not care! They were not traitors to me or my beliefs and even if they had committed heinous crimes, they were not your crimes. You have proven yourself to me time and time again. Your kindness and compassion-"

"Are false. I kept you in ignorance. I knew you thirsted for knowledge, I knew what my library would mean to you and I deliberately refused it to you. I am a coward."

"You are a man who has been hurt by life and you were afraid of losing someone you have grown to care about. With your history I can understand it. I am similar, and I do not think that makes us cowards."

"You do not fully understand-"

"So what if I do not, is it really important? What is important is that I love you. Do you not love me?"

Rosyth stumbled back. His calves hit one of the rocks by the pool, forcing him to sit down upon it. Daniel took a step forward. "It is not a hard question and I do think I deserve to have an answer."

He lowered his head to study his hands, long fingers twisting and untwisting, his white hair hiding face. "Of course I do. You've become my very breath, my heartbeat. Having to say goodbye to you…it is killing me inside." The face he lifted to Daniel was torn, agony written in every line. "But because I love you, I have to do this."

"Oh, Rosyth." Daniel was kneeling by his side in an instant, his hands gently prying the other man's apart and holding them firmly. "You do not have to give me up. It is not what I want. I have been through so much and all I want in the end is a place to call home and you. Cannot you give me that? Or must all my suffering have been in vain?"

"Do not make this all right; do not make my resolve crumble."

"When you first laid eyes on me what were your thoughts?" He remembered Ke'thrala's warning that Rosyth had only been attracted to him because of his frailty and hoped that Rosyth would prove her wrong.

Rosyth's hands tightened on his and his gaze did not waver from Daniel's. "I wanted you. How could I not want you? You're a gift from the gods I had thought had forsaken me, my sign of forgiveness. How could I not adore and cherish what they have-" Daniel kissed him. After a moment Rosyth pulled one of his hands free and cradled the back of Daniel's head, deepening their kiss. They were both breathless when they parted.

"Take me home then. If you think your gods brought us together then do not throw it back in their faces. Let us stay together and face whatever is thrown at us as one."

"You have a pretty way with words," Rosyth said, leaning in to brush his lips against Daniel's.

"You only think so when you like what I say," he said with a smile before letting Rosyth kiss him and lean him back the slightest bit. Daniel wrapped his arms around Rosyth and hid his face against the other man's neck. "Let us go tonight. I have been so homesick."

"I as well." Rosyth nuzzled Daniel's hair. "Let us go back and fetch my Traveller's Locket and then we can depart."

Daniel drew back, missing the feel of Rosyth against him, but the other man had to stand up and could not manage it with Daniel hanging off his neck. They walked back to in the direction of their apartments hand in hand. A little ways from their destination, Rosyth flashed a mischievous smile at Daniel and tugged at his hand, trying to lead him into the bushes. After a faint display of resistance, Daniel followed.

"We are going to get arrested," he protested as Rosyth pulled him down on the grass.

"What would they charge us for?" His hands were plucking on the ties to Daniel's garish shirt, easily un-working the knots Franmarrow had tied up so carefully.

"Indecency," he rolled them over so he was on top of a bemused Rosyth.

"It's not a crime here. These gardens are meant for trysts."

"Rosyth, I was teasing." Daniel bent down to silence his lover, now and forever his spouse as well.

* * *

Daniel, after his fine speeches to Rosyth about neither of them being cowards, could not summon up the courage to go say goodbye to Franmarrow and Ke'thrala in person. It was a poor return for the kindnesses they had shown him, but he feared Ke'thrala's disapproval…and a small part of him feared that she would say something sensible and stay him. Love truly was not a creature of logic and woe the man who let it rule him. But it was so so pleasurable to give oneself over to it, Daniel thought as he pressed himself closer to Rosyth.

They had materialized at the stone hut that marked the outskirts of the keep's protections. Both of them wearied from their days in the capital, they had decided not to make the hours long trek back to their home that night. The hut had been outfitted for just such occasions. Daniel joked that Rosyth had made a habit of storing bedding in every corner of his domain as he watched him go about making up their bed. Rosyth had only smiled and pushed Daniel down into the soft furs.

"Are you awake still?" Daniel whispered against Rosyth's heartbeat.

"I am." Fingers stroked through his hair and Daniel's eyes half closed at the sensation.

"Can you make me a promise?"

Rosyth did not hesitate an instant. "I can and I will. Anything and everything."

"Promise me that you will never again take me back to that vile place. Promise me that if you have to return you will never…help again."

"That is two promises, my love, but ones I will readily agree to. I hope I shall never have to return as well. The place suits me ill."

"It does," Daniel agreed happily. Rosyth's other arm came around him, his hand resting on the small of Daniel's back. Only the sound of the wind outside was to be heard and Daniel was lulled by it. "I was made to murder once upon a time," he said, his voice soft. He had hoped that Rosyth had fallen asleep, but Rosyth shifted against him at his words.

"You don't have to tell me this."

"I do not want any secrets from you. They can be so harmful I have come to find out. It was me and it was not me that committed those crimes at the behest of the man I mistook to be your father."

"I am not sure I follow."

"That, all of that, happened before my amnesia, which is honest fact and no convenient tale. These deeds have been coming back to me in bits and pieces ever since. Though I am not who I was and think of myself a new creature entirely it…torments me. Those poor lost souls…"

"I confess I feel I do not grasp the entirety of what you are telling me. Nor do I wish to. Your past is your past and let it lie. Treat mine as such too. The gods gave us to one another for a reason and I am now sure it was for us to move into our future together, leaving our past mistakes behind."

"I would like that," Daniel admitted, his voice scarcely above a whisper. "One more thing, Rosyth. My name…"

"What of it?" Rosyth's voice was drowsy, he was on the verge of sleep.

"I lied. I do remember it. It is Daniel."

"What a very boring name. It does not suit you at all," Rosyth murmured. "We really shall have to give you a new..." And then his breathing slowed and evened out. He had fallen asleep.

Daniel frowned, vaguely insulted. But maybe it was time to come up with a new name, to make a clean break with his past self.


	25. Chapter 25

"Oh, I have missed this place!" Daniel proclaimed, settling down by the monument and his orchids. "Look, they are shriveling! Poor things."

"Winter is coming," Rosyth replied, sitting down next to him. "Compared to the wonders of the National Gardens, don't you find them plain now?"

"Perhaps your people have just become jaded to what real beauty is."

Rosyth plucked a single flower from the vine and placed it in Daniel's hair. "I would not say all of us." It earned him a kiss.

* * *

Daniel was relieved that they were once more installed in his snug little rooms off of the garden. Rosyth often made pointed comments that with the season turning chill, the master bedchamber would be better insulated. Daniel did not doubt that the self-heating floor and walls would made things more comfortable, but he had not the heart to give up the rooms he truly felt were _his_. After the traumas of the capital, getting back into a routine and being surrounded by the familiar were balms for his soul.

"I really ought to write Ke'thrala and Franmarrow. I acted abominably, sneaking off like a thief in the night. I never thanked them once for all they had done for me." Rosyth stirred and then turned over to tuck Daniel against him.

"Do you want me to help you fashion a letter?"

"If you would not mind. Maybe that can be our chore after we get done with our work." Another thing Daniel had sorely missed was working alongside Rosyth. He seemed to be developing a real talent with repairing machinery and Rosyth was giving him more and more complicated tasks. Daniel could not help but feel a sense of pride.

"I did let them know that we were going home. They do not think that someone absconded with you and know that you are safe." The unspoken, smug _with me_ vibrated through their link. Daniel had to bite his lip to keep from laughing.

He raised his head slightly to look at Rosyth. "You are so thoughtful." He ran his thumb along Rosyth's unshaven jaw. "You have my thanks." Rosyth leaned into the caress.

"If you want…Do you know what a thought-canister is?" The word was blurred in Daniel's mind, but the image of one of the cylinders that stored memories floated up.

"Oh, yes. I do. Franmarrow has a section of his library dedicated to them. Intriguing things."

"Yes." By the tone of Rosyth's voice, he was not overly impressed with them. "We have some in the castle, I am sure. If I can find one maybe you can use it. We'll give it to Bel'rok to deliver the next she comes."

"Does she have trade with the capital?"

Rosyth paused for a long moment. "It is where most of our merchandise goes."

Successfully suppressing his shudder over the reminder of Rosyth's other wares, Daniel burrowed into the warmth of Rosyth's arms.

* * *

"Do the…the Nel'rum celebrate any sort of winter festival?" Daniel asked Bel'rok over their cups of Oo-luk.

She gave him a surprised look. "No, not that I know. Their kind throw festivals whenever they please. They don't like being confined to things like calendars." She sniffed in disdain. "Your folk do?"

"Yes, we have a winter celebration around the…the…" He hunted for the right word and realized he did not know it. "When the night is longest, that day."

"The equinox," she supplied.

"Yes, thank you." He made a note of the word in his journal. While his powers of telepathy were growing each day by leaps and bounds, he was still forced to resort to the old methods of puzzling out the traders' language. He had tried to establish a link with Bel'rok some time ago, but his mind had skidded across hers as if it were encased in ice. She had not even been aware of what he was attempting. When he asked Rosyth about it later, Rosyth had explained that it was always so with her kind. They had some immunity to telepathic powers. Not that Daniel minded overly much; it was good to stretch his linguistic skills the old fashioned way.

"We have such a festival ourselves. How do you celebrate it?"

Daniel paused in thought. "We exchange presents and go to church. It is a type of religious festival to us," he explained.

She scrunched up her face. "Religion."

Daniel had to laugh. "It's not so bad. We sing a lot."

"Singing is nice. We sing at our festival as well. And there is drinking of spirits."

"We do our fair share of that too."

"Why are you curious about this?"

Daniel shrugged. "I wanted to make sure not to slight Rosyth if his people followed similar customs. If one did have to buy him a gift, what would you recommend?"

She harrumphed. "I would not know. He does not seem the sort people give gifts to."

"Perhaps that is the very reason I wish to give him one."

She sighed and rolled her eyes. "You would be the best to decide what he would like. You are his consort."

"Yes, but that does not make him any less of a mystery."

"I would suggest tools or some such practical thing, but…" Her voice trailed off.

"But?"

"It might be hard to obtain what he would need. Trade has gotten strict of late. If he were to ask for it himself, I am sure the trade authority would give us little problem, but he would have to write a signed document for me to show them…"

"That wouldn't be much of a gift if we had to get his permission! Why would it be hard to obtain tools?"

"Things dealing with the capital are becoming…complicated."

"Is there some sort of shortage of metal?"

"Not really." Bel'rok looked uncomfortable. "I have felt this wind blow before. Many years ago." She glanced up at the keep, her eyes troubled.

He wanted to inquire further about the situation in the capital, but the concepts were too complex with the limited number of words he knew in her language. He decided to let the subject drop. "Do you have any rings?" he asked of a sudden remembering a past conversation between Rosyth and he.

Her smile was predatory. "Do we have rings! We have the finest you will see this side of the Ger'hal!" She cleared the table by the expedient method of sweeping all the brick-a-brac off onto the floor with her huge arm. Reaching behind her she plucked up a beaten and worn case and threw it onto the table. Daniel had to hurry to save his Oo-luk from being dashed to the floor.

She opened the case with a flourish. "They are very…shiny." Daniel was at a loss. He was sure that someone somewhere would find these beautiful, but to his eye they were the epitome of gaudy. "Do you have anything for a…you know…a man?"

"These are for men."

"I see. Maybe something on the simple side. Not so many…jewels."

With a theatrical sigh, the case was whisked away to be replaced by another. The rings in these were plainer, most limiting themselves to two jewels smaller than his thumbnail. It was a great improvement over the last case, to be sure, but still not what he was looking for. Bel'rok could guess as much by his face and with a grumble, this case was replaced with yet another.

"These are the cheapest ones," she said, glowering with disapproval. "Do you mind that your gift is cheap?"

"I do mind that he will want to wear it!" Daniel replied. He tapped the case. "Come on then, give us a look."

There was no flourish with this case and she turned her eyes aside from the wares inside as if embarrassed she even had them in her caravan.

Daniel smiled. These were perfect. Not a jewel to be seen. He lifted up one plain band that looked like gold to the light. "This is lovely."

"That is boring! This is your mate; try to impress him a little."

"I thought you didn't approve of us," Daniel teased.

"I don't, but this is my reputation as a merchant on the line here. These ones have etchings," she said pointing out a few. "Not as beautiful as the others I have shown you, but a damn sight better than being decorated with nothing at all."

Daniel poked through them. They mostly seemed to have stylistic pictures of animals on them. Not really appropriate for what he had in mind. A ring so polished it was almost white caught his eye. Picking it up, he squinted at it. It held a carving of a bird, a familiar one at that. "It is like the one in the temple," he murmured to himself.

"What?"

He started and realized he had lapsed into English. "I said this will be perfect." His smile dimmed. "Oh, but I forgot I don't have any money."

"You have credit. Your lord-ling has said often enough to give you anything that caught your eye and put it on his tab."

"I don't want to buy him a gift with his own money. That seems so…" He wanted to say "gauche". There were times he did miss being able to use telepathy.

She chuckled. "You help out with his machines. It's your work as well as his that earns you your bread. Even though he may hold the purse, you put your sweat into those coins too."

That was a rather warming thought, that he contributed to the finances of his home. "Then please put this on our tab, _Madam_ Bel'rok."

" _Madam_ ," she repeated, rolling the word around in her mouth. "Your language is so fun to say!"

Daniel smiled. He only wished Rosyth felt the same way. The man still refused to call him by his name, not liking the taste of the rustic syllables against his tongue. A small part of himself wondered if Rosyth still remembered what his true name was…

* * *

"Ves'pithial."

"That is horrible. And a mouthful."

"It means 'shining star'," Rosyth protested.

"Which I am not. And do not respond with something trite and romantic; it will not win your cause."

"Gethrial?"

"Would you cease with the 'rial's, please. Nothing about me is like a heavenly body." Rosyth smirked prompting Daniel to throw a book at him. "You are a cad. Besides, I thought you once told me that you could never put a name to me."

"I am no naming you, i am giving you a choice of endearments. I need to call you something."

"I have a perfectly good name you can use."

"You deserve better than that name." Rising he walked over to Daniel's chair, his fingers trailing along Daniel's shoulder as he knelt by his side.

"Admit that you are a snob and you hate it because it is in my-" The kiss distracted him. Rosyth did not pull away immediately, his nose brushing Daniel's. The expression on his face was so solemn it was an effort not to squirm.

"There is so much sorrow attached to your name. I can feel it every time you utter it. Why not something else? You have said before that you bear little attachment to the man you were before your accident."

"It should be something I can pronounce, surely?"

Rosyth scowled and turned back to his own chair.

"You are entirely too possessive at times," Daniel said returning to his book.

"You like me possessive. I can feel it." Rosyth tapped his temple, a smug look on his face.

Daniel huffed. He was tempted to reply with a heated retort, but then something tugged at his memory. He was forgetting something… His head shot up from his book as it came to him. "Speaking of being possessive, stay here a moment." He rushed out of the room, leaving Rosyth to stare after him in surprise.

When he returned he grabbed Rosyth hand and pressed the ring into it. "What is this?" Rosyth asked.

"A present."

"For me?"

"Who else would it be for?" Daniel smiled.

Rosyth held the ring to the firelight turning it back and forth to study the design. "It's very pretty. What about this one caught your eye?"

Daniel rested his chin on Rosyth's shoulder and pointed out the stylized bird. "Does that not seem familiar to you?"

"It's like the one in your ruins."

"Yes. Do you like it?"

Rosyth turned the slightest bit, his breath ghosting over Daniel's cheek. "You didn't need to buy me a gift." He placed it on his right hand and scrutinized it.

Daniel sighed and took his place back in his own chair. Rosyth glanced at the ring and back at Daniel. He knew he was missing the significance of the gesture; Daniel could feel his unease through their bond. He twisted the ring around his finger and Daniel soon continued with his reading.

Suddenly Rosyth jumped setting the tea tray on the table to rattling. Daniel looked up alarmed. Rosyth was struggling with the ring to remove it from his finger. Daniel was on the verge of asking if it was too tight or paining him when it was wrested free. Rosyth met Daniel's eyes and smirked as he put the ring on his left ring finger.

"About time you remembered." Daniel could not keep the affection from his voice.

"I thought you said it was only for the women of your kind." Rosyth seemed far from offended though.

"Maybe I realized that we must set our own rules and customs in our relationship. I dare say we are rather unique."

"We are at that."

Rosyth played with the ring all night, pausing every now and then to extend his arm and admire how it looked.

* * *

"Our work has been dwindling lately," Daniel observed looking down at the small machine he had been laboring over the entire morning. After he was finished with it he would have no other project until Bel'rok came again. "Is it because we are in the heart of winter?"

"Perhaps." Rosyth did not raise his eyes from the more complicated device that was his charge.

"I pray we get more orders when spring arrives. We will soon grow tired with one another with nothing to occupy us."

Rosyth murmured some noncommittal remark and then looked up hastily when Daniel's words penetrated through the trance work lulled him into. "I would never grow bored of you. In fact I welcome this lack of work. It will give us more time together."

"To do what?"

Rosyth leered.

"Besides that!" Daniel threw a dirty rag in Rosyth face. He laughed as he did it though.

"I have been meaning to show you how to maintain the upkeep of the castle. Would you be interested in whetting your thirst for knowledge on these ancient machines?"

The offer, though not unwelcome, surprised Daniel. "I would love to." He would confess that the thought of another power failure while Rosyth was out hunting filled him with dread.

"I can finish this by today and I assume you are almost done with yours. We can start tomorrow."

* * *

Spring came and their work increased from nothing to a small trickle. Daniel took it as a hopeful sign. Bel'rok's caravan was coming more and more infrequently though and when she did pass their way her wares were much dwindled from their usual. When Daniel asked her the cause, she grew shifty and muttered something about trouble along the caravan routes.

When Daniel asked Rosyth about what was causing the lack of supplies he grew even more taciturn than the merchant. "Why don't we go on a little expedition tomorrow?" he said to change the subject.

"I do not like hunting."

"If fresh meat is required, I will go by myself. I was thinking more of an herb gathering expedition. We have our own garden for vegetables here in the castle." Daniel wondered where it could be as he saw nothing that seemed practical in his garden. "But we are lacking some of the spices that make our food…bearable."

"I see. Of course we may." First metal and now food stuffs. What on earth was happening outside of their tiny domain?

The next day a letter from Franmarrow arrived. Rosyth handed it to Daniel over lunch. He turned it over and over in his hands. It was the first letter the librarian had written him and Daniel had been beginning to fear that his departure had caused offense to the couple. "How did it get here?"

"A messenger brought it."

"And you did not think to invite him up for tea?" Honestly, Rosyth's hospitality…

"It was not living, my love. Tea would matter little to it."

"Oh." Daniel supposed the undead servants would make the perfect couriers; they did not need to rest and required neither food nor water. He tore open the envelope and scanned the letter. "Dearest Daniel," the letter began. "I hope you are well. We are well, Ke'thrala and I. The library has had to close for an unforeseeable span as it is seen by those (ignorant louts had been crossed out) in authority as…"

"Rosyth, would you read this phrase out loud to me?"

Rosyth glanced at it. "Probable hotbed for sedition," the translation came into his mind.

"Oh dear, that does not sound very good."

The letter continued with a list of items that were sorely missed by Ke'thrala and Franmarrow due to the shortages and a complaint that Ke'thrala was always being pulled away from home for (questioning had been crossed out) aid in the protection of his majesty. "We do hope you come visit us again. I miss our teas in the library more than I can confess and I know Ke'thrala is concerned for you as well. Once the unrest is put down, perhaps your husband will once more wish to take in the capital."

"Unrest? Have you been keeping something from me?" Daniel tried to keep the accusation out of his voice.

"I thought it didn't bear mentioning. It was just a small uprising and a few grumblings against the regime. They happen every now and then."

"If it has already been put down than why are they still keeping their citizens under lock and key?"

Rosyth sighed. "The ones behind it have not been caught yet, rumors are still flying around, and sedition is still being whispered, or so Bel'rok has told me. The crown has taken such things very seriously since…" his voice trailed off.

Daniel thought of the portrait, of the stern girl at Rosyth's side, and tried to picture her face as a woman's. "When was the last revolt?" He already knew the answer.

"My sister," was the quiet reply.

"I am surprised they are not banging down our door to question you."

"They know it won't be me. I proved my loyalty long ago." His tone did not invite inquiries for details. "Besides, my circumstances have changed. The emperor knows I have…things I do not wish to endanger."

"Is that what he told you when you presented me? That he was happy he now had a potential hostage to ensure your good behavior in the future?"

Rosyth gave a bitter smile. "You are learning our ways fast." He did not sound happy about it.

"And why are they so interested in Ke'thrala? She was not in the…She did not take part last time, surely?"

"No, though they suspected she had a hand in it for quite some time."

"Because of her friendship with your sister."

Rosyth tilted his head to the side. "I don't know if I would call them friends. She served under my sister for a while and I do believe Ke'thrala greatly admired…"A name was uttered that Daniel could not replicate. He did wish everyone would learn to think as Franmarrow did!

"So they suspect her again in this one?"

"They suspect everyone. Don't worry yourself though. She has taken care of herself through worse than this and nothing of the capital's troubles will reach our doors." The assurance rang hollow.

"Rosyth…If they need…would you be willing to…"

Rosyth gave him a long look, his jaw tightening. "There is no way to offer it to them without it being intercepted. The palace telepaths are listening in to conversations randomly and every missive in or out is being checked." He flipped over the envelope the letter had arrived in and pointed at a curious seal stamped upon it.

"Oh."

"However…" Rosyth swallowed and forced the words out. "However, if they were to show up at our doorstep in need, I would not turn them away."

Daniel smiled and reached out to clasp Rosyth's hand, his ring cool against Daniel's skin.

* * *

Spring faded into a mild summer. Daniel and Rosyth spent a good deal of their time outside. Daniel was developing a tan almost as pronounced as Rosyth's. "Once trade is more properly reinstated we will see about getting you your own horse." Where once it would have inspired terror in Daniel to own such a creature, it now filled him with a heady excitement. "Once you have your own mount," Rosyth went on, "we can do overnight ventures more often. There are some more ruins several days trek from here I know you would like." Daniel's heart was filled to bursting.

Dinner that night was more elaborate than Daniel was used to. Through Rosyth going on more frequent hunting trips and their small vegetable garden, they had not felt the food shortage so badly, but it had hindered the variety of their meals. "Could you not stand the porridge anymore?" Daniel teased as Rosyth sat down across from him.

"I wanted something special for tonight."

"Is it some occasion for celebration then?" Daniel wondered if it was Rosyth's birthday.

Rosyth took a sip from his goblet. Daniel was surprised to see the man was drinking this world's version of wine. It must be a special day indeed. "It is a day I will always hold in my heart and revere," he replied with a smile.

"Should I know why this day is so significant?"

"I suppose not. You were mostly unconscious for it."

Oh. Daniel wished he had some wine as well. "Is it really…"

"It's the day I found you." Rosyth took another sip and extended the glass to Daniel. Daniel took a gulp and pulled a face. It was more sour than he had expected. Rosyth laughed. "Perhaps you should stay with your Oo-luk."

"I think it best." He took a swallow from his cup and swirled it around in his mouth trying to banish the taste of the spirits. "Has it really been a year already?"

"Has time moved so slow for you? I feel surprised that it has only been a year. I can scarce recall a time without you." He took Daniel's hand in his and Daniel had to look away for a moment. "Still so shy at times." There was no hiding the smile in Rosyth's voice.

"Is there a custom among your people for anniversaries? Something I should have done beforehand?"

"We are not accustomed to celebrating them, but I have never been usual among my kind." Cold metal slid over Daniel's finger.

"Oh. Oh!" Daniel said as he realized which finger it had been placed on. The ring was the mirror to the one he had given Rosyth some months previous. He must have asked Bel'rok to have this one specially made. "Only one of us is meant to wear one though." He touched it lightly, fearing it would burst like a soap bubble and this would prove a dream.

"You said yourself we should make our own customs. We each wear one. We…each own the other."

Danile knew his grin much have looked very foolish. It really was silly, two men carrying on like this, but Daniel knew that the only way he would take this ring off was when death had claimed him.

* * *

Maria did not approve of their increasingly long outings from the castle. She hovered around Daniel as soon as he was alone and even, once, had reached out to hold on to the back of his shirt, trailing behind him as if she were a small child. Daniel knew that he should find such behavior alarming, even unnerving considering what she was, but instead he was charmed by it. Did this not prove that somewhere inside of her she was capable of affection? That there was still a spark of her humanity left?

Rosyth had left to hunt before Daniel had even begun to stir from his slumber. Since it was one of the rare days that Daniel was left entirely to his own devices, he decided to spend it spoiling his friend and let her dictate their activities. She puttered around in the flower garden, deigning to let Daniel help, and after lunch had led him upstairs. Daniel knew where they were going as soon as the elevator door closed upon them: the roof.

The day was sunny but there was a cool breeze from the west. Daniel turned his face into it and half shut his eyes. "It is lovely up here, Maria. You do know how to pick scenic spots." Not heeding his words, she walked to the very edge of the parapet. Daniel glanced up at the sun and tried to judge which direction she was staring in. East, was it? What lay east? He brought up the maps he loved to study in his leisure. East lay some small cities once out of the Waste and then farther beyond them…the capital. He shuddered. Surely she could not be staring towards that unhallowed place? But where had she resided in life? Perhaps she remembered her former birthplace, perhaps that was what she so longingly looked towards when she was alone.

"Maria-" He moved towards her, determined to try to see if he could get an answer from her, when the door slammed open behind him. Surprised, he turned. Rosyth should not have been due back yet. The grisly image of a hunting accident he saw once in his youth rose up into his mind. He had to quell the sudden panic and blink the vision away. It took him a few seconds to puzzle out the features of the man before him, to place him. "Hy'vel!" He reeled back, flinging out a hand to clutch at Maria's robe. She did not turn her gaze behind her, though her fingers clenched on the parapet. Daniel realized that she was without her hood today. Was that why she would not face this interloper even though she surely could sense Daniel's distress?

Daniel forced himself to face Hy'vel. His clothing was rent and travel-stained, a far cry from his usual dapper self. Wherever his wanderings had taken him, they had left their marks. He held his side as if it pained him and took a step forward, toward Daniel. "I had to see you one last time." His voice was the slightest bit raspy, as if from disuse.

"Why are you here? How did you even gain access into the-" he cut himself off, remembering that Rosyth was forgetful of setting the security to the castle now that he was assured Daniel would not run away. He wanted to groan. "I warn you, sir. If you should try anything…"

"Even as wearied as I am, I am sure it would be a quick contest in my favor." Hy'vel tried to smile, but it faded fast. His eyes darted to Maria and a look of remembrance-and wariness- passed over his features. Daniel was heartened by it.

Daniel plucked at Maria's robe, willing her to turn around and confront Hy'vel for him. So what if he saw her pale face? She did not oblige.

"It was rude of you to leave without saying goodbye. Or thanking me for my gifts." Hy'vel was approaching him slowly, hands slightly spread as if to prevent Daniel from running past him.

"I burned the shirts," he lied. "They were hideous."

Hy'vel only chuckled. "Ke'thrala told me the same thing. I should have let her help me pick them out."

The nonchalance with which he dropped Ke'thrala's name left Daniel nonplussed. He had thought she had not been on friendly terms with Hy'vel, but…the first time he had met her she had been in the man's company. He took a cautious step away from Maria. "Have you seen her recently? How are Franmarrow and she?"

"I honestly cannot say, though I hazard they are doing well. If I would have had the pleasure of their company these last months, even just briefly, they would have been executed."

Once more Daniel took in Hy'vel's battered appearance. "You…Have you done something…wrong?"

Hy'vel laughed. "I suppose that is entirely up to who you are asking. To most I have done something inviolably perverse, to a few… Let's just say you will please with me. I have quit my profession. In a most dramatic fashion."

"Hy'vel, what have you done?"

"You look well."

Daniel started, confused at the change in subject. "Th-thank you. I shall go fetch Rosyth. I know your true intentions are to probably meet with him." As he tried to move past, Hy'vel caught him by the arm, pulling him so close their bodies almost touched. Daniel froze immediately, not daring to take his eyes off him. Hy'vel grimaced and took a step back, his hand still wrapped firmly around Daniel's upper arm.

"Still so afraid of me."

"You have never given me reason not to be."

"I thought I had." Hy'vel's eyes were imploring. "I swear to you that whatever I have done, all the things I have done, to make you think me deplorable, I have been trying to erase them. I will always strive to erase them."

"You are not going to sacrifice yourself or some foolish thing, are you?" Problematic as the man was, Daniel still did not wish to see him dead.

"I don't aspire to be that heroic."

Realization suddenly dawned. "You were the one that tried to lead the revolt." By the look of alarm on Hy'vel's face, Daniel knew he had guessed correctly. "It went badly?"

"It's not in the past tense yet, I am still leading the revolt, Daniel. As to how it will turn out in the end…I can't say. I hope favorably. If we have any hope of winning, of changing all of this," he gestured around him, "I have to go into hiding and fight from the shadows. If I stay on this world the emperor's hounds will be sure to track me down."

"And you came to say goodbye to…to me. Why?"

Daniel warily eyed the hand that slowly came up to cup his cheek. "I hoped I would not have to say goodbye."

Daniel shook his head, freeing himself from the unwanted touch. "You must be mad. I would never leave here, not now." _And asking someone to become a fugitive from an emperor's wrath with you was an acceptable declaration of love?_ Daniel thought wryly. He tried to pull away from the other's grasp, but the hold on him tightened to just shy of pain. "Rosyth-"

"Rosyth be damned! Stop putting that man before your own well being!"

"Going off with you would not do my well being any favors!"

"Better on the run with me than staying with him until he grows bored of you!"

Daniel scoffed. "That will never happen."

Hy'vel's expression was pitying. "You don't know him, Daniel. You say you do, but I can still see that you are not privy to all his secrets yet. He is a monster."

"Then he is my monster. Now let me go!" His voice rose on the last word and he renewed jerking against Hy'vel's hold. His arm was wrenched and a cry escaped him. From the corner of his eye he saw Maria spin around, finally spurred into action. The motion attracted Hy'vel attention.

Daniel staggered back as he was suddenly released, Hy'vel's arm remaining upraised as if he had been turned to stone, his face draining of all color. "He really _is_ a monster." The words were soft and Daniel almost did not catch them. He quickly backed away until he was standing beside Maria. He glanced at Maria's face, wondering what had caused Hy'vel's bizarre reaction. As always, no expression marred her face though her eyes remained locked on Hy'vel's. Then, ever so slowly, she tilted her head to the side. Hy'vel sank to his knees.

"Are you all right?" Daniel finally asked, becoming genuinely worried that the man might have been shocked into some sort of catatonia. "Did you…Did you know her? When she was alive?"

"Yes," Hy'vel whispered. He closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he looked around as if surprised to find himself on the floor. Rising to his feet he wavered, almost stumbling. Daniel stepped forward to offer his hand, surprised when Hy'vel took it. "You really are too kind. It was the first thing that struck me about you."

"I thought it was my walk." Daniel studied Hy'vel's face, concerned in spite of his better judgment.

Hy'vel's grin was a shadow of its old self, but still rakish. "Maybe your good nature was the second thing I noticed, then." He glanced at Maria and then back at Daniel, the smile fading. "Come away with me. This place, this world, is full of horrors. Damn the revolution, if you want. We can run until they give us up for lost and settle on a world that has never heard of the empire. Let us go find our peace."

"I have found my peace and it is here. And yes, this world is filled with its share of horror, but I have come from a place that held much worse."

"Daniel, please." Suddenly Daniel was between two strong arms and against a firm chest. "Please." It was said against his hair, the word ruffling it.

"I told you I cannot. The worlds we find might be worse than this one, worse than the one I hail from." He pushed against Hy'vel until he had won enough distance so his nose was no longer smashed against the other man's collarbone.

"And you will not forsake your lover."

Daniel's smile was almost rueful. "There is that."

"Then you give me no choice but to leave you to change the world." They looked at each for a long moment. There was a warm, uncomfortable feeling in Daniel's chest, a weight that had not been there in a long time.

"Run far and be safe," he said at last, his voice cracking on the last word.

"I will fan the flames of discontent where 'ere I go." He sounded as if he were quoting from something. His face turned serious though with his next words. "I will come back for you. When all of this is done. I will come back and I will not be refused again. You will see reason, my love."

Daniel laughed, it came out high and nervous. Hy'vel stopped it with a kiss. Daniel could do nothing but stand still, ridged as a board. His mind had gone blank as soon as Hy'vel's lips brushed against his. It was brief, thankfully, and Daniel had to try very hard to not spit the moment he was released. Hy'vel did not even give him a side-long glance as he then turned to Maria. With a shaking hand, he touched her cheek. Her eyes still never wavered from his.

"Who was she?" Daniel asked through the hand he now held cupped protectively over his mouth.

"My oldest friend. Perhaps my first love." Hy'vel sighed and lowered his hand. "And also a visionary and the bravest creature I have ever encountered." He gave Daniel a wan smile. "If you would have met her when she was alive, I am sure you would have been fast friends. She did have a love for the lost."

"We are fast friends even now."

"Then I am glad. I cannot really hate him for doing it, bringing her back to this half-life. The world is still a better place for having her in it, even if it be just a shadow of her." He kissed her on the cheek. Maria immediately put a hand on his chest, pushing him away. Hy'vel laughed. "Just like old times." He spun on his heel and walked to the door of the keep.

"Hy'vel, I really meant it!" Daniel called after him. "Stay safe!"

Hy'vel waved at him, not turning around. "And I meant my words as well. When I come back you will not deny me! You will see reason!"

Daniel groaned, exasperated at the man's arrogance. Not even the prospect of execution could sway it. And for some reason that very thing persuaded Daniel to feel the slightest bit of fondness towards him.

* * *


	26. Chapter 26

After Hy'vel left, Daniel strode to Maria's side and stared out at the horizon. When the shadows began to lengthen, he took Maria's hand and retraced their steps to the elevator. Instead of stopping at the floor where his apartments lay, he chose to go down to the very bottom floor to await Rosyth. Surely Rosyth would have felt either his cousin's presence or Daniel's distress by now and would be on his way home. As soon as the elevator halted with a shudder he was proven right; Rosyth brushed against his mind, the worry in it so acute that it made Daniel's vision waver. He had to clutch onto Maria to keep his balance.

_I am fine. Are you almost here?_

_Almost._ Daniel hadn't realized it was possible for a mental voice to be out of breath. Rosyth must be pushing himself and their mount to their limits to reach Daniel as fast as possible. Daniel smiled, touched.

_You do not have to hurry over much. I am safe._

_You are shaken._

Daniel tried to tuck his emotions more tightly around himself _. I have had worse shocks._ Rosyth's presence faded from his mind so he could concentrate on his efforts to arrive home in record time.

Alone in his head, Daniel stared up at an etching in the metal walls. A creature like a madman's vision of an angel was bestowing a sword unto a cringing man whose jagged spine proclaimed him a member of Rosyth's race; the Nel'rum they were called in the traders' speak, though The Kin was the translation that came through whenever Franmarrow or Rosyth referred to themselves.

Daniel thought of worlds lined up like children's blocks stretching out into infinity and of Hy'vel's flight amongst them. Was that the slightest bit of envy he felt? He sighed and tried to quash it. The journey to the capital should have cured him of his wanderlust! A cold hand slipped into his and squeezed. "Thank you, Maria." He leaned against her arm. "Will you worry for him?" He looked at her out of the corner of her eye. Her expression remained blank, but she tilted her head the slightest degree. Yes.

"You must have been a remarkable woman in life to have kept a spark of your soul after death. A very tenacious one as well." Was that the slightest quirk in the corner of her lip? An almost smile or a trick of the light? They stood in the near dark clasping hands until her head turned to the entrance. She unlaced their fingers and took a step from Daniel, her head immediately lowering into a demur cast. Daniel guessed that this signaled Rosyth's arrival and began to move towards the door.

Rosyth flung open the doors and swept Daniel up into his arms. "Are you all right?" _I felt a Traveller's Locket flare_. "Did anyone come here?" I _rushed back as soon as I noticed it_.

Daniel was overwhelmed by the flood of words, both physical and mental. "Rosyth, calm yourself. I am all right. You must have sensed Hy'vel's arrival or departure."

Rosyth released him, but kept his hands on Daniel's shoulders. "I only felt one burst. Is he still here?" His expression was ominous; Hy'vel had worn out his welcome for good his last visit.

"Then you must have felt him leave. I was…under the impression that he would not tarry after he said goodbye."

"How did he arrive here then?"

"Perhaps he walked?"

"That is very impractical, why would he…" Rosyth shook himself. "It does not matter. If he did journey here on foot or by beast there will be some evidence of it. I will scout around." He made to leave and then immediately turned back to Daniel. "Why was he here? Did he hurt you?" Daniel shook his head. "Threaten you?"

"Not at all. He acted…the perfect gentleman." Daniel forced himself to not blush as he remembered Hy'vel's parting display. He sobered as he remembered the reason for Hy'vel's visit. "Rosyth, he is in some trouble."

Rosyth snorted. "What did he do now, get caught with someone else's mate?"

"Rosyth, he…that matter with the uprising…"

Rosyth paled. "He wouldn't have…He wouldn't dare… Not after…" Daniel did not miss that his eyes shot to Maria for an instant.

"I am afraid he has gotten himself caught up in it. He came to tell me goodbye and say that he had to flee to other worlds."

"How considerate of him to lead the emperor to my doorstep!" Rosyth uttered a curse too potent for the translation magic to work upon. Raking his hands through his hair, Rosyth paced. "What to do? They'll think me involved." He stopped in his tracks and chewed on his thumbnail. "Unless I am the one to report it. If I act first and tell them what you have told me…Surely they will think us blameless." Daniel was at a loss as to what to say. It did seem as good a plan as any though.

"Do you truly think they would notice that he stopped here?"

"We could have slipped by them if he hadn't been fool enough to use a Traveller's Locket to broadcast his departure to all and sundry. If he is the leader of that pathetic little revolt, they will be scouring this entire world for any trace of him." Rosyth walked to Maria and studied her face. She placidly looked back at him. Whatever answer he hoped to glean from her, he apparently did not find it, for he turned away with a frustrated growl. "I will go to my study and contact the emperor's telepaths from there. I don't wish for you to have to overhear it if it turns…if it does not go favorably for us."

"What will we do? If it does not go favorably, I mean."

Rosyth looked over his shoulder, his hand on the elevator's gate. "We flee."

* * *

At dinner Rosyth was silent, only answering in monosyllabic replies. Daniel assumed that his conversation with the palace had not been blatantly unfavorable, but it had been a far cry from pleasant. "You can confide in me, if it would help. That is one of the benefits of being married, having someone to unburden oneself to."

Rosyth sighed and threw down his fork. "I would if I could. I…think it went well. They didn't immediately threaten to send a battalion to our doors."

"What did they say?"

"They must ponder and deliberate." Rosyth lifted a hand to press against his brow. He had looked quite queasy since he had left his study and had only picked at his half of the plates.

"We can only hope then."

"Hope." Rosyth practically spat the word. "Hope gets one nowhere." Again his eyes sought out Maria who insisted on hovering behind Daniel, a constant presence since Hy'vel's visit.

"I would beg to differ." But Daniel was willing to let the topic drop. Bickering was not what Rosyth needed now.

"One thing does concern me though, or I should say I find curious."

"Yes?"

"Why did Hy'vel come to expressly say goodbye to you?"

Daniel's spoon paused halfway to his mouth. He slowly lowered it, mind racing to think of what to say. Finally he decided to squarely meet Rosyth's eyes. "Why would you think he would make the effort to risk his life to tell me farewell?"

Rosyth glowered. "Was it only to say goodbye to you?"

"There might have been an offer or two in there besides the farewell part."

Rosyth pinched the bridge of his nose. "And you said…?"

"What do you think I said? I said I was happily married! Honestly!" He returned to his meal with angry gusto.

A small chuckle escaped Rosyth and he reached across the table to rest his hand on Daniel's arm. "And you doubted me when I said I was in constant danger of having you stolen from me."

"Anyone who wants to steal me will find themselves hard pressed! I do not go anywhere I do not wish to go without some show of fight."

"I know. I would never doubt your fidelity." His thumb rubbed across Daniel's wrist. "I just concern myself over your safety."

"As long as I am with you I will always be safe."

Rosyth smiled. "Yes, you are right. And nothing will ever part us."

* * *

It had become a nightly custom for Daniel to practice his reading as they lay in bed, comfortably leaning back against his spouse's chest. Not only was it nice to have Rosyth's arms around him, but it was also convenient for Rosyth could easily see the page Daniel was on and help with the words he stumbled over.

"Your reading is improving remarkably fast," he murmured in Daniel's ear causing Daniel to shudder in pleasure.

"Shall I continue onto the next chapter?"

Rosyth plucked the book from Daniel's fingers and tossed it to the foot of the bed. "I think we have had enough history for the night." His hand smoothed down Daniel's chest and ventured under the blankets to rake over his stomach. Daniel's arched back into the touch, a happy mumble on his lips."I've been thinking..."

"Not something I welcome right now."

Rosyth chuckled and Daniel pouted when his hand stilled. "Would you like a little trip? Not right now, of course, but when things settle down."

"What sort of trip? To those ruins you talked about?"

"I was thinking of somewhere more...extraordinary." The world of glowing crystals flashed through Daniel's mind and his pique was soon forgotten.

"You mean it?" he asked as he turned around. "You would take me there?"

"I would take you anywhere you wished."

"I would love to!" He put his hands on Rosyth's cheeks and kissed him soundly.

"It's not like I proposed to you again!"

"You never proposed to me to begin with!"

How Daniel loved those fine lines that only showed around Rosyth's eyes when he smiled. "If I had proposed to you, would that have been the reaction?"

"Oh, my reaction would have been much more...enthusiastic." His voice lowered to what he hoped was a seductive tone. Judging by how Rosyth's eyes darkened and how his head tilted to the side to encourage Daniel to kiss him, he had achieved his aim. Daniel smiled into their kiss, his fingers tangling in Rosyth's hair.

Rosyth froze. Tension vibrated through his frame and Daniel automatically lowered his hands to his shoulders to try to soothe him. "What is it?"

"A moment. I have a…royal summons." Gently untangling himself from Daniel, he briskly walked into the garden.

Daniel pulled the blankets around him, chilled despite the warm air of the late summer. He let an hour pass before he went in search of his spouse, worry causing a nauseous feeling and shaking hands.

Rosyth was in front of the monument, head lowered as if in contemplation of the flowers which glowed eerily in the moonlight. Daniel could tell from the set of his shoulders that something terrible had happened.

"My love?" Rosyth turned at his voice, his expression stricken. Daniel almost took a step back from it. "Whatever is it? What did they tell you?"

Rosyth opened his mouth but no sound came out. He cleared his throat and tried again. "It was the emperor himself."

"Oh."

"He told me to…" Rosyth pressed the heel of his shaking hand against his right eye. "I must…" Daniel flew to him, arms surrounding him, trying to make things right through the fierceness of his embrace. Rosyth clutched him tighter, fingers clenching on his shoulders to where there would be bruises on the morrow.

"Must we…go?"

"Not you," Rosyth whispered against his hair. Daniel pulled back, dread crashing through him like a dark wave.

"Are you to be arrested?"

"I am to go on a mission for the crown." Rosyth tried to smile but only managed to make one side of his mouth twitch.

"You cannot mean…You must go after him?"

Rosyth inclined his head.

"But that is madness! Impossible! How are you to track him through _worlds_?"

Rosyth softly clucked his tongue. "We are relations. We cannot truly shield from one another."

"His telepathy is better than yours!"

"I know!" Rosyth snapped. He regretted it instantly and gathered Daniel closer to him. "I know."

"Will you travel with…guards?"

"I must go alone. He graciously told me to think of it as…penance. A way to prove my loyalty." The sneer in his voice would have earned him a visit with the gallows if any but Daniel had been around to hear it.

"When must you leave?" _Not tomorrow_ , he thought fervently. _Not at dawn. Give me some time, give me more time._

"The day after tomorrow. I pled prettily enough that they allowed me a day to settle my affairs, to see that you are looked after."

"Surely I am to come with you!"

"Alone, darling. He was very adamant that I must go alone into my exile."

"Do not call it exile. You will come back, you have to come back!"

"I can after I have…found my cousin."

"Then you must bring him back? To face justice?"

Rosyth started to lead Daniel back to their chambers. "No. No trial. There is no need for it." His voice was dull, almost dead.

Daniel dug his heels in and forced Rosyth to stop. "Not…They cannot expect you to…" Rosyth stared at him blankly. "But he's your kin! They cannot ask you to kill your own…" Daniel's voice faltered at the mirthless smile that split Rosyth's face. It started out as a chuckle then quickly climbed into a full out roar of laughter. He doubled over, his arms wrapped around his stomach. Daniel wondered if it were the first signs of madness; he hoped it was only nerves.

"Rosyth, stop. Please," Daniel begged, petting his lover's long white hair, trying to calm him. "Please calm down." Rosyth fell to his knees and Daniel followed, coaxing the other man to lay his head in his lap. Daniel kept stroking his hair, the sharp plane of his cheek, until the horrid, gasping laughs faded to pained whimpers.

* * *

Somehow they managed to get a few hours of sleep. Daniel awoke cursing his frail body. He had lost precious hours he could have spent with Rosyth. He needed to fill up on the sight of the man, had to commit every nuance of expression, every quirk of body language, to memory. He had to store up enough to tide him over until…But what if Rosyth never…

Daniel flung back the covers and strode to the wardrobe. Rosyth was not in their room and he could not hear the man in their bathing chamber. He must have awoken early and gone to his study to make the preparations for Daniel. Daniel tried not to become irritated that Rosyth was wasting the precious time they had left with his boring paperwork.

Throwing on the first tunic his hand brushed against, he caught sight of himself in the mirror. It had been many months since the hollows under his eyes had been so pronounced. He touched the cool glass. Rosyth would come back to him, had to come back to him. The universe could not be so cruel to Daniel, not after everything he had been through. But if Rosyth came home that would mean…Hy'vel would be… That thought was intolerable too. That they had to fight to the death like common curs for the emperor's amusement set a rage to kindling with Daniel. It was a new feeling to this incarnation of himself, this black, burning thing in the pit of his stomach. He had thought this him to be incapable of such outright hatred.

Time was slipping by. He did not even glance at the breakfast that had been laid out for him and went immediately to the study. Rosyth looked up as he entered, not surprised in the least to see him. "I am just signing some documents to give you legal holding over all of my estates and finances. Everything takes care of itself these days, so you need not worry about making payments. Bel'rok will keep bringing you work you are capable of. Our income will drop without me handling the more…difficult wares, but I will be surprised if you'll notice. She'll also know what supplies to send you and if you need anything else, just…" Rosyth's voice trailed off and he hid his face in his hands.

Daniel rushed over to him, taking one hand in his, he pressed it to his cheek. "I…really must finish this paperwork, my love."

"All right," Daniel said. He kissed Rosyth's palm and let him go. He did not leave though. Instead he settled himself on the carpet beside Rosyth's chair, his cheek against Rosyth's knee. Rosyth's hand settled on his head and softly carded through the soft brown hair. The sound of pen scribbling against paper resumed.

The day slid through Daniel's fingers like sand. No matter how tightly he tried to clutch at it, it went too fast. He was thankful that Rosyth did not want to let him out of his sight as much as Daniel was pained to have Rosyth leave his. Though Rosyth repeated himself on numerous occasions, Daniel never interrupted the advice and explanations. It seemed that Rosyth had spent the morning writing up instructions for the maintenance of every machine in the keep with detailed advice on how to diagnosis any potential problem they might have and several methods to remedy it. Even though it was written out, Rosyth still insisted on taking Daniel through a tour of the castle from top to bottom, pointing everything out and having Daniel recite it back to him. Far from tedious, it was a blessing to hear Rosyth's deep voice. He would miss that slight underlying growl to all his words, the way certain syllables could make his skin vibrate.

"Surely you will not be gone so long as for me to need all this," he pointed out when Rosyth had paused for breath. Rosyth only looked at him.

"It never hurts to be overly cautious," was all he would say.

"Let me go with you. How would they ever find out?" Daniel pleaded when they wandered out into the garden.

"They would find out. And they would kill you."

"Hy'vel ran away. Why do we not do the same?"

"They would find us eventually."

"You cannot know that. If we always move, if we go so far-"

"And you would welcome that kind of life? Always on the run, no place to call home ever again?"

Daniel fell silent. Rosyth leaned down to kiss his temple. "It is a nice thought, love. But this way I keep both you and our keep. I will not be long."

Terror gripped Daniel's heart, an implacable sense of foreboding filling it, and Daniel clutched him, shaking him. "Promise me you will return to me. No matter what you must do, you must return to my side."

"Even if that means that my cousin must die?"

Daniel's throat went dry. He could not bring himself to say the words, but he gave a small nod. "No matter what, come back to me. Promise."

"I swear it." Rosyth tilted his chin up and his lips sought out Daniel's. Daniel grasped his shoulders and brought their bodies tightly together, wishing that he could forge themselves into one being.

Their love making that night was slow. As explorative as if it were their first time, each trying to map out the other's body, trying to commit as much of it to memory as possible. Each small gasp and moan was paused over, savored, stored in the mind to bring up again on lonely nights. It would not be enough though and they both knew it. No matter how much they stretched it out, how many times they took each other, dawn would still come and after they had parted nothing would be able to soothe the endless stretch of cold, empty beds that awaited them.

* * *

The corridor stretched out before him and Daniel paused, overcome by deja vu. He did not live in this part of the castle now. Why was he wandering around this wing so late at night? And why were the bloodly lights not turning on? Ahead of him came the familiar swing and glow of a lantern. Ah. He remembered this dream.

He walked to the hall of faces, not even pausing as the phantom light extinguished. He knew he would not be in the darkness for long and he knew who awaited him ahead. Sure enough, just as his heart began to hammer so hard he was sure it would bruise his ribs, a door was flung open and light spilled out along with his wounded Rosyth.

Even knowing that his attempts at aid would be in vain, he still rushed to his lover's side, hands pressing against the old wound that still gushed blood in the man's dreams. "I hope this is in no way prophetic," he muttered.

"I told you, it happened very long ago." Rosyth grasped Daniel's hands and pulled them away, forced them up to cup his face. He closed his eyes and seemed to draw comfort from Daniel's touch. Daniel on the other hand was appalled to see Rosyth between his own bloodstained hands. It conjured too many bad memories, though when he tried to pull back, Rosyth's hold tightened. Finally Rosyth sighed and opened his eyes again, releasing Daniel. "I don't want to leave."

"I do not want you to go either." Daniel rubbed at his wrists.

"It will kill me." Rosyth's voice sank to a whisper. "I don't think I can bear-"

Daniel quickly cut in, "You will. You will bear it because you must bear it. Think on what will become of me if you do not return."

Rosyth smiled and stroked his cheek. "You're a survivor. You would live and in time forget me."

"Do not insult me! A life without you would be half a life! It would be a life without joy in it. Would you really condemn me to that? A life as soulless as…as…" _your sister's_ "Well, would you?"

"Never." He held him tightly against himself and Daniel felt the warmth of his blood seep through the thin material of the nightgown. "I would never hurt you. Ever. The one thing I would never…" He held Daniel far enough to see his face. "You would truly want me back?"

"What a stupid question!"

"Even if I must…" His golden gaze darted to the opened door. Daniel no longer had any desire to find out what lay inside of it, what haunted his lover's nightmares.

"You do whatever you must to come back to me. Whatever." He shook Rosyth.

"Whatever," Rosyth repeated. "That can cover more than you can possibly imagine my love…"

* * *

Fingers brushed through Daniel's hair and pulled the slightest bit. Daniel mumbled a complaint, still half lost to his dreams. "I love you." It was spoken close to his ear, the words so cracked by emotion that the translation magic almost could not make them out.

"I love you too, now let me sleep," Daniel snapped back, weariness already pulling him back down. There was a soft bark of laughter and then lips against his. It was a rather pleasant sending off to dreamland, though there was a nagging dread at the back of Daniel's mind, something he should have been remembering…

When he woke up fully, the sun was angled in such a way that its beams fell full upon the bed making Daniel over warm. He grumbled and kicked off the sheets which clung to his sweaty body. Blinking at the garden, he tried to calculate what the time must be. He jolted upright, his hand flinging out to the other side of the bed. Empty. And cold.

Not caring that he was naked he threw open the bedroom door and ran for Rosyth's study. He wouldn't…He couldn't have possibly… It too was empty. Already the room smelled of disuse and the solemn hush that lay over the air stunned him. No. No no no… It was not fair. The coward!

A blanket was settled over his shoulder. Daniel spun around, a relieved smile on his lips. "Rosy-" Maria looked down at him with what he took to be pity in those glossy, black eyes. Daniel blinked the tears away and turned from her. Clutching the blanket around him he walked over to the desk and sifted through the paperwork. Nothing personal. Well, there would not be anything here. Of course if Rosyth had left a note, it would be by the… Daniel turned on his heels and stalked to his bedroom, Maria trailing behind him as if his very shadow.

There was the note, tucked under his breakfast tray and folded around a sprig of his orchids. He threw the flower on the floor and opened the letter so harshly it was a wonder the paper did not tear. He snorted when he saw that Rosyth had taken pains to write in both his own language and the traders' so Daniel would be sure to understand everything. It helped him hold onto his anger at such an ignoble goodbye…until he started reading.

My love,

I apologize for leaving as I am. If it angers you, if it makes you think less of me, I welcome it. Better you should hate me than feel this unbearable sorrow that I hold within my heart. I would not wish this pain on any creature, even my direst enemy. It is for that very reason that I cannot wake you to say farewell. I know it is the proper thing to do, I know it is what you would want me to do, but if I have to look into your eyes and say those words…How could I ever say those words to you? It would kill me. It would undo me. I would snatch you up and flee with you across the worlds until the emperor's guards found us. It would be a story fitting for the books you love, but not one I would wish to see enacted upon you. I would never see you harmed. And because of that, I leave you now. Sneaking out of my own castle, the place you helped me make a home of. My heart is breaking as I look upon your face for what may be the last time. If I never come back, know I have never regretted anything I have done in my life for every choice, bad or good, led me to you. But know also that I keep my promises. As long as I have life in me, as long as my heart beats and I still draw breath, I will make it back to your side. No matter what lies between us.

It was signed with all his love and with his true name, though underneath it he had written "your Rosyth" in the trader's language.

Daniel did not resist when Maria tucked him against her. He turned his face until it was pressed against her voluminous robes and sobbed like a small child. Hope. That is all he had left. Hope that the gods that had brought them together would let Rosyth be a man of his word. And Daniel hated himself for knowing that by wanting Rosyth home he was wishing another man, a good if flawed man, dead.


	27. Chapter 27

The feeling of haunting one's own home while still living was not a pleasant one, Daniel thought as he wandered through the corridors. He passed the hall of faces and extended his hand to trail along the columns as he passed them. He had already been to the workshop, the library and the study and was now approaching the last stop of his morning constitutional. Some days he might see the library before the study, or the machines in the attic after the workroom, but this was always the last place he visited.

He paused before the doors to Rosyth's chambers. Taking a breath, he held it and pressed his forehead to the wood. He did not even know if he ever truly believed in the god he offered the prayer to, but he offered it none the less. The silly feeling never faded, no matter how many times he repeated this ritual. Exhaling, he threw open the door. Only dust motes swirling in the beam of sunlight falling through the open balcony window were there to greet him.

He closed his eyes and willed the sob to not rip forth from his throat. It was ten paces to the bedroom door. He had counted them each time, a fervent wish uttered with each step. The door opened and the lights automatically came on. No exhausted figure curled up in the bed. The sheets were pristine and tucked tightly under the mattress. The servants were taking such good care of things in their master's absence.

Daniel sighed as he sat on the edge of the bed, head falling into his hands. He supposed he was their master now. Master of a castle filled with naught but the dead and he little more than a wraith himself. He was wasting away, forgetting to eat. All the weight he had gained after his convalesce was whittling away fast. There just did not seem to be enough strength left in him to do the simple things anymore, not enough strength to even care about the simple things anymore.

Lying back on the bed he looked up at the ghastly creature looking down upon him. The sneer on its face seemed more pronounced than usual. "Stop your mocking," he muttered before turning his back to it.

He awoke to his eyes sore and swollen and his hair sticking to his cheek by his tears. Grumbling he sat up and scrubbed his face with the back of wrist. Judging by his growling stomach, it was almost time for his lunch. As he made his way back to his chamber he paused at the hall of faces. The door at the end of the hall was ajar and light spilled from it to illuminate the usually dark corridor. Daniel remembered his dreams and remembered what the open door always preceded. He ran down the hall and burst into the room...

No Rosyth. But also not unoccupied.

"Maria?" He started at the sound of his own voice. It was the first time he had spoken to someone not himself since Rosyth had… She did not turn to him, gave no sign of acknowledgement. Her eyes were locked on the portrait above her. Daniel's gaze followed hers. Too easy to imagine the young girl's face as a woman's now. As if sensing his thoughts, Maria turned, eyes still not meeting his. Her face tilted in such a way as if she were looking at someone invisible beside her. She was mirroring the pose of the girl in the painting he realized.

Daniel swallowed. "So you do remember then."

She looked up at herself from an age ago and extended her arm towards the little girl she had been. Daniel's heart broke. "Do you regret it? Do you think if she had it to live again she would…", _turn into you,_ "do it all the same, knowing what you know?" He honestly did not expect an answer, but he received one none the less. Meeting his eyes, she nodded. Daniel started. When had she picked up on his gestures? Or was she finally now free to mimic them without fear of reprimand because Rosyth was…

"Why?" he finally asked.

She glanced from him to her portrait and then clucked her tongue. Daniel jumped. He was so used to her eerie soundlessness he had thought her incapable of any noise. She attempted a shrug as well. It was an awkward thing.

Daniel went to her side and stared up at the accursed family, all dead now save for one. He looked at young Rosyth's haughty face, his sister's wariness. What a family. He could not claim his was better though. "I can sense you were a woman of principals. I am sorry I did not meet you when you were alive. You would have been quite the personality. Not that you still are not." He smiled at her and fancied she almost smiled back.

Since he had guessed the identity of his silent friend, he had wondered what had possessed Rosyth to turn her into one of his morbid creations. Had it been out of a sense to punish her for bringing the emperor's wrath down upon his family? But that did not seem to fit the man who had given him his ring or would patiently soothe him after his nightmares. Perhaps it had been out of a desire to not be alone in the world, to be able to 'save' at least one member of his family, though why he had chosen the very one who had caused their annihilation…

Daniel looked again at the two children. Out of all the figures they seemed the ones most…aware of each other. He would not call it a fondness, but maybe it bespoke of a bond. If he could have his Hazel back by his side, would he? Even if she were to be just a doll, something he could only pretend still had life within it? Had Rosyth's sister helped banish the demons or the guilt the man still held within him? He leaned against Maria's arm. "It may be selfish, but I am glad you did not truly die that day. I am glad I could meet you, even if it is not strictly the true you." She leaned the slightest bit back into him.

Presently she pulled away and turned to face him, her face appearing more grave that usual.

"What is it my friend?" Daniel asked, unnerved by her unwavering stare. She lifted a finger and poked the hollow of his cheek. Her touch was so cool it almost burned, but Daniel managed not to flinch from it. "I do not under-" She gave him a prod in his ribs next and he guessed her meaning. "All right. I look a mess, I know that full well."

She hooked her fingers into his belt and began to drag him to the door. "Maria!" She stopped and released him, her hand coming up to her mouth: eat. He had to laugh. "I never knew a mute could be such a nag!" He fancied she shot him a glare for his teasing. He let her lead him back to his rooms and tried to eat a goodly amount under her reproachful eye.

After she had cleared away his tray-she had started on insisting on doing it herself, in fact she seemed to drive the other servants from him- she brought him pen, ink and parchment. "You want me to write a letter?" he guessed, smoothing down the paper, enjoying the richness of it under his fingertips. She tilted her head to the side. "But to whom shall I write?"

She looked around the room and then pounced on something upon his desk with such suddenness Daniel cried out in surprise. She darted over to him with her prize, dropping it in front of him. They watched it flutter down upon the blank vellum. "Franmarrow?" It was his last letter that she had seized, a letter Daniel still had not seen fit to answer. "I have nothing to-"

She pointed at the paper.

"But Maria, what can I possibly say to him?"

Her gesture at the paper was more imperious this time.

"I have nothing to write him but misery! How can he be expected to understand-"

In exasperation she snatched the paper up from the table and threw it in Daniel's face. "Maria!" She had never been so violent in her actions before. Daniel was almost frightened. She tapped herself above her heart and then tapped Franmarrow's letter. Lunging forward she touched Daniel's heart and made a gesture as if drawing something out from it and then throwing it down upon the parchment. "Is this your way of saying I should confide in my friends in my time of need?" She did not dignify the question with a response, only watched him expectantly.

"Very well." Daniel picked up the writing materials and, giving her a wide breadth, seated himself at his desk. She watched until he was on his third sheet of paper before slipping out of the door, as silent as a shadow.

* * *

Bel'rok's visits were increasing in frequency. Maria was not the only one who was overly concerned with his welfare, it would seem.

"You're too thin," she growled, her strange eyes darting over his form.

"I am seeking to remedy it." Daniel pulled his tunic out of his belt slightly to better hide his slightness.

"Good." Her eyes moved to a point behind him. "You have a shadow." Daniel knew from the look of distaste on her face whom she was looking at.

"It is Maria. She is…one of the servants. With Rosyth being…She had become over attentive of late."

"Huh!" The honest exclamation of surprise drew Daniel's attention instantly, but before he could remark upon it she had a strong arm around his shoulders and was steering him to her caravan.

When the Oo-luk had been drunk and her pipe lit, she began talking of her travels. It was the part of her visits that Daniel most looked forward to. Carefully not looking at him, she knocked the ash from her pipe. "You could come with us you know."

"Thank you, but I really couldn't."

She snorted. "Dani'el, it's been mon-"

"And I will wait years!" His voice rose and he flinched at it.

She regarded him, her expression blank. "I am sorry. I overstepped my bounds."

Abashed, Daniel flushed. "You didn't. Not really, just…have hope, my friend. For my sake."

She grumbled a word he did not care to inquire the meaning of. "You can come with us for a short visit surely. It would do you good to leave the castle once in a while. You're losing all the color you've gained."

"And what if he were to come back to only an empty home," _and a dead sister_ , "for welcome? What sort of spouse would I be?"

Bel'rok chose not to answer. Instead she rummaged under the table and set an item between them with a ponderous thunk.

"What is that?" Daniel asked, peering suspiciously at it.

"It's a thought-canister."

"I know what it is! I meant…" He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Why are you giving it to me?"

"It's not from me, littlest lordling. It's from your odd friend at the capital."

"Franmarrow?" Daniel looked at the contraption as if it could explode at any moment.

"It came with a letter. Perhaps he explained his present within it. Now it's time for you to leave."

"Already?"

"We have other places to be on the road, littlest lordling, and schedules to keep."

Daniel rose to his feet with her. "Oh, Bel'rok. Please don't be angry at me. I am overly stressed and easily overcome by emotion."

"Am not angry at you, but I have been a mother to enough brats to recognize someone spoiling for a fight and I am old enough to not have to oblige them."

"Bel'rok…"

"If you ate more, you wouldn't be so irritable," she snapped.

"I'll…I'll try. I am trying, I just… What happens if he doesn't…"

She rested her hands on her wide hips and stared down her nonexistent nose at him. "Then you move on when that happens." She held up a hand to silence him. "And none of that romantic twaddle about not being able to! You're young and adventurous. If he doesn't come home then you'll get on with your life. I won't say it won't hurt, but you will."

"How…How will I know? That he'll never…"

"Dani'el, you'll know. There will come a day when you just…know." There was a sadness in her voice, a grief that bespoke of experience and Daniel was shamed before it.

"I am sorry. I acted the child."

"To me you still are a child. Let's not keep your mistress waiting. She how she paces?"

Raising his eyes he saw that Bel'rok was right. Maria was…pacing. She only stilled when she spotted Daniel watching her and then her hand rose in greeting.

"No undead thing ever acted thus!" Bel'rok muttered, spitting to the side.

* * *

The table was set for tea when he remembered that he had still to read Franmarrow's letter. He sat down at the table and smiled up at Maria as she poured him a cup of Oo-luk. His hand shook slightly as he ripped open the envelope; he did miss his friends at the capital too much these days, though he really did not relish the thought of ever setting foot in that city again.

The clatter of another cup and the pouring of liquid made him raise his eyes in alarm. Maria was pouring another cup of Oo-luk. He watched her, puzzled. Was something wrong with her...inner workings? Had some mechanical error made her forget that her brother was no longer in residence? Feeling his gaze upon her she looked up, shoulders straightening in an almost defiant gesture. She hooked a chair with one of her feet and pulled it behind her to seat herself, prim as any princess. She then brought the cup up to her lips. Daniel realized he was holding his breath. She did not take a sip, just lowered it again, but her long fingers remained wrapped around the cup, perhaps enjoying the warmth coming through the glass.

Disturbed, Daniel returned to his letter. He cleared his throat. "It is from Franmarrow," he explained then felt silly for stating the obvious. "He suggests that I try to put some order to my research of the local ruins. The…" he jerked his chin at the thought-canister that was on the desk. "That is supposed to be of some help. He says that if I can put my findings and conjectures into that contraption, he will gladly write them down for me and…Oh my, he says he will try to get me published!" Daniel set down the letter and stared at Maria, who gazed blankly back. "Well, that is rather an exciting prospect. I wonder if I ever have been published before?" He began to worry his fingernail. "I will have to restructure my notes and…of course we will need to go back to the ruins to confirm…"

From the corner of his eye he swore Maria was wearing the slightest of smiles as she brought the cup up to her lips again. And he could have sworn that this time she did take a sip.

* * *

The little project of the local ruins filled up his time nicely, but it was sadly drawing to an end. There was little more to do than give Bel'rok the thought-canister and the sketches he had made to accompany it and bid her pass them along to Franmarrow. With no new projects that needed his attention in the workroom, he could feel his listlessness returning and Maria was starting to fret over him once more; he could tell by her hovering and the added treats with his meals.

One day he awoke and realized that he had no reason to leave his bed. And so he did not. After a few hours, Maria came in and sat by his side. Her cool fingers stroked over his brow and he jerked away from them in annoyance. "I am fine. Do not coddle!" She smacked his bedside table and rose to her feet. She was pacing again. It was almost as unnerving as her stillnesses. Sighing, Daniel pushed himself up. It would not do to have both of them in a snit. He ran his hand through his hair and grimaced at the greasiness of it. When was the last time he had bathed?

Stumbling to his feet he started to walk to the bathing chamber, pausing to touch the canister as he passed it. He stopped, fingers lingering against the smooth metal. "Maria, do you still remember this area as you did in life?"

She halted abruptly, staring at him. Very quickly she tilted her head to one side and back again. Daniel smiled. "Do you know the ruins several days journey from here?" Again that tilt of her head, only this time she nodded as well. "Would you be willing to go on a small adventure with me?" A pause and then a very grave nod. Daniel grinned. "Excellent! I think my magnum opus is in need of a few more chapters. Let us prepare some bags to take with us and we will be on our way at once!"

With a twinge of guilt, Daniel wrote multiple letters to Rosyth explaining where he had gone and why. He left them everywhere he could think Rosyth would search for him and even left one on the front door in case Bel'rok came a-calling, though she was not expected for several more weeks.

Maria led their horse to the door and Daniel eyed it uneasily. Surely she did not expect him to ride as she walked? Even if she were not a living woman it would still be…ungentlemanly of him. Sensing his unease, she nimbly swung herself up into the saddle and gestured for Daniel to take a seat behind her. That did not help matters at all and Daniel tried to reign in his blush. Why had he not thought through the problem of their transportation more?

Maria exhaled noisily through her nose and Daniel could have sworn that she rolled her eyes at him. Again she made the gesture for him to climb on with her and this time it booked no argument. Daniel sighed and did as he was bid. "Will our weight be too much for the-" She kicked her heels into the beast's flanks and it took off faster than a shot. There was nothing for Daniel to do but to cling on to the slim waist of his friend, decorum forgotten in his need to keep his balance.

He nearly forgot to breathe at the magnificence of the structures that rose from the shallow waters. They must have been stunning buildings long ago. A pity all that was left as testament to their grace and elegance were the massive arches of doorways and tumbled walls slowly sinking into the mud. He almost turned to smile at Rosyth, to share his excitement…and then he remembered. Loss hit him anew and he had to close his eyes until it passed.

"Come, Maria. Let us find a place to set up-" But she was already gone, weaving her way among the boggy ground. Daniel was appalled that he had not noticed she did not wear shoes. She did not seem to mind the mud sinking between her toes. In fact she seemed almost to be…skipping. When she turned to beckon him to her side, she was smiling; an actual smile, not a thing that could be blamed on a trick of the light or Daniel's hopeful imagination. Daniel finally managed a smile of his own and strode to her side.

At night they sheltered in the lee of a column that had fallen against what looked to have once been a wall. Both were covered with gorgeous carvings that still had the remnants of paint clinging in the crevasses. During their evenings Daniel made a study of them, painstakingly copying the pictures into his journal. He would need a new journal soon. He made a note in the margin to ask Bel'rok for one the next she came.

Maria had taken to watching his every gesture with an attentiveness that tugged at his memory. He remembered being watched thus before, being followed around and an endless prattle of questions dogging his steps...He smiled as the memory actually broke forth through the fog of his past for a change. "Haz- Maria, would you like to see what I am drawing? It might be frightfully dull to you, but I can explain..." his voice trailed off as she instantly moved to be by his side.

After three days their supplies were running low and Daniel deemed it time to return. His stomach made an anxious flip; perhaps Rosyth would be waiting for him, cross that Daniel had not played the faithful lover and had dared leave the castle. As shaming as it would be for Rosyth to come home to an empty castle, Daniel would do anything to see that disgruntled expression that oft crossed his lover's face. An upset Rosyth was better than an absent Rosyth.

Daniel could not contain his excitement and hope as they neared home. There was that proverb about a watched pot after all. It would be just like fate, the capricious wench, to send Rosyth home the very moment Daniel decided to leave for a few days. While his spirits rose, Maria's seemed to diminish. She grew almost morose, drawing up her hood so Daniel could not see her face.

When the castle loomed over the horizon it was all Daniel could do to not jump off the horse and run to it. As soon as Maria reigned in at the doors, Daniel could not contain himself any longer. He dismounted-more a controlled fall-and sprinted for the door. He had to be waiting for him, had to be. It had been almost half a year now! Flinging open the doors Daniel called out Rosyth's name. The walls threw it back at him. With the death of the last echo, Daniel's hope was extinguished. Of course Rosyth was not back yet. If he had come back to an empty home, even if he had read all of Daniel's notes, he would have immediately sent him a message through their bond demanding his return or would have set out after them. Daniel turned his head and Maria quickly looked away. She must think him a damn fool. But Daniel did not know how else to be.

* * *

Almost a year without Rosyth. The wind was bitingly cold this winter and Maria had had to cover the more frail flowers in their garden to protect them from the morning frosts. Daniel twisted the ring on his finger around and around. He did it so often that he was rubbing his flesh raw. He wondered if Rosyth did the same, wherever he was now. God, this was intolerable.

He left Maria to tend her garden and made his morning pilgrimage to Rosyth's rooms. He had forgotten to close the wall to the balcony and the room was chill. Daniel shivered and walked over to it, intent on closing it and letting the heated walls warm the place again. He paused to look out over the landscape. One day would he gaze out like this and see his Rosyth walking across the sands to him? Or would it be Hy'vel he looked down to see?

His shaking this time could not be attributed to the cold. It had never occurred to him before that Rosyth might not be the one to come home. Had not both men promised to return for him? Were they not both equally matched in both stature and prowess? If he were honest with himself, luck would favor Hy'vel more in a fight. He was used to a blade, used to inflicting pain and his Rosyth…his Rosyth hunted, but in the end he was only a simple machinist. Daniel's heart twinged and he rubbed it, feeling he had betrayed Rosyth by the simple admission to himself.

And if Hy'vel walked through the door, what would Daniel do? He would never welcome the man, how could he when his very presence would proclaim him Rosyth's murderer? But if Rosyth came home, would that not be the same? Family blood on both their hands… Could Daniel, in good conscious, welcome either home?

He felt sick. He stumbled back from the balcony and ran for the privy, making it just in time. Hy'vel triumphant and thinking Daniel would then tumble into his bed like a war prize or Rosyth whom Daniel would never be able to look at without thinking of whose blood now stained his hands? Why could not they both win, both keep their lives? Why did fate have to be such a bloody bitch? No, why did the emperor have to be such a right bastard, he corrected. In the end, no matter what happened, this was all that man's fault.

His legs shook underneath him, but he managed to make it to the bed. Tugging a corner of the sheet free, he rolled himself into a cocoon. He wished he could fall into an enchanted sleep, only to be awoken by his love's kiss. Dreams would be better than this horrid waiting, this dread that haunted all his days.

Summer came and went. Over a year now since Rosyth had been gone and though Daniel felt it a betrayal, he no longer started at each small sound in the night, thinking it was his love returned. Nor did he feel that twinge of panic when he dared to stay outside the castle for the night. Maria and he were going farther and farther afield, staying away for weeks sometimes. He always felt guilty when he returned, but the guilt only came back when he crossed his threshold again. Outside the grim walls he was…free.

"How much longer are you going to pine?" Bel'rok asked, smoke curling from her mouth with every word. She took another puff of her pipe and watched Daniel through slitted eyes, judging if she had angered him or not.

Daniel sighed and flopped back against his mound of pillows. "Not this again, Bel'rok."

"Yes, this again. I see you as one of my own and I will not have you languish here until…" She took another hard puff from her pipe, the embers in it glowing ominously.

"Until?"

"Until the emperor remembers that you are here. Alone."

"Why should the emperor give a fig for me?"

"Fig?" She frowned at the English word and then shook herself. "He did not get his pound of flesh from the cousin's death nor is it confirmed that the lordling is dead. His thirst for blood is unquenched and he would not care how he slakes that thirst." She gave Daniel a meaningful look.

"Oh." Daniel laughed. "For a moment there I thought you were going to say that he would want me for his harem or some such nonsense. If it is just my death he craves…"

"Do not be flippant with me, boy." Her voice was a low growl and Daniel winced at it.

"I will think on your offer," he conceded. When she still did not look convinced, he sighed. "Is there a way to…Do you know anyone who can turn the servants…off? If I do leave, I couldn't bear the thought of them still wandering about the place. It's a doom scare beyond imagining."

Her eyes half closed in thought. "One of my sons is a tinker of some renown among us. I can bring him along the next I come this way. Perhaps between the two of you, you can figure something out." She held one elongated finger up under his nose. "But I bring him under the condition that you are preparing to leave this place."

"Of course." It was not truly a lie. After all, she had not named a time he had to leave by. If he dawdled and took years to get ready she could hardly say that he had gone back on his word.

"Maria," Daniel called her softly as the doors closed behind him. He did not have to wait long. She was by his side in an instant and Daniel wondered where she had hid herself while he was with the traders. "Do you think your brother is coming back?"

She gave him a long look and then shrugged her shoulders. Practice had made the gesture almost natural and Daniel had to smile at it.

"Well, I think it is time I started acting as lord of this keep until he comes back. Changes need to be made, changes I should have done long ago. If he minds...If he minds then I shall just say it is his punishment for leaving me for so long and I will gladly welcome his chastisement. " He reached out and took her hand. "I asked Bel'rok to bring her son here to help me bring the servants to their rest." She did not react in any way; her black eyes remained on his face. "I…" His hand closed on hers and if she were still a living woman it would have hurt her. "Do you want…?" It was selfish of him to want to deny her this, to keep her from her eternal reward by keeping her with him to stave off his own loneliness. It was pathetic and lowly and he could not help the triumphant smile when she shook her head. He loosened his grip on her. "If you change your mind…" Again she shook her head. She smiled and Daniel had to wonder at the meaning behind it, for she smiled with a touch of bitterness, as if she was the only one to understand the punchline of some joke that she alone was told.


	28. Chapter 28

The stones under his cheek were chill. His first thought was that the heat must be out and would require him to go up to the machines in the attic to repair it. He sighed. It was not how he had wished to spend his morning; he had notes for his book to organize and had planned to help Maria with the gardening… _Wait_ , he thought muzzily as he pushed himself up onto his elbows _. Why am I not more concerned that I have awoken to be on the floor?_ Thinking at first he must have fallen out of bed, he extended a hand blindly to find the offending piece of furniture and pull himself upright. His hand encountered naught but air. He clenched his fingers against the stone. _And there are not any bloody stone floors in my home!_

He got his legs under him fast and looked around the room. Nothing but darkness save for a circle of light around him. The source of the glow was easy enough to spot and Daniel groaned at the unimaginativeness of his sleeping mind; there was a lantern at his feet.

Resigning himself to a bit of playacting, he bent down to pick it up. "So what will it be tonight?" he asked the darkness. "Playing hide-and-go-seek from fiends out of my memories? Or a dream visit from the Shadow?"

"How dare you attempt to trick me you pathetic, paltry…human!" boomed a familiar, deep voice throughout the halls.

That answered his question prettily enough. Daniel wondered if he could sit down on the floor and wait until he awoke. Best to stick to the script, he finally decided. Who knew what his sleeping mind would conjure at him if he did not comply with its demands?

He followed the sound of the tirade through the winding corridors of a place like and unlike Brennenburg. It felt like a strange conglomeration of that horrid keep and his own; Daniel was confused by it. Usually in his dreams everything was laid out as an exact duplicate of whatever location had been decided upon for the night's entertainment. Why this dream should be different made him uneasy and on guard.

The voice was growing angrier-if that were possible- and more creative with its curses the nearer he got to its source. Its sentences seemed to also be punctuated by a disgusting smacking sound which recalled the memory of a butcher's cleaver sinking into a hock of meat. Daniel swallowed down the bile that rose in his throat. _Just get it over with, find the horror and awaken in a cold sweat…_

The hall ended at a door, did not they always end thus in his dreams? His mind was always cruel enough to give him a choice: enter and confront the nightmare or stay in the hallways and chance to be doomed to wander them for eternity. Daniel supposed it was a type of bravery that made his fingers clutch the lantern until they whitened and push open the door.

The voice stopped mid-sentence. Daniel hardly noticed, his attention was at once seized by the grotesque before him. Surely it had once been a man. It was hard to tell now what form it had had in life for someone had hacked and hacked and hacked at it until it was barely a smattering of carrion bits scattered across the floor. The thing moved, moaned, stretched out a once-arm to Daniel in supplication. Daniel gasped and dropped the lantern, its light extinguishing.

They were not in darkness for long. Soon blue tongues of flame rose up to encircle the grim tableaux…and illuminate the perpetrator. It came as no surprise to Daniel that the eerie blue glow lit up the hollowed and wizened visage of Alexander. What did give him pause was that the face was so clear. Usually Alexander's face was either a blur or that gnomish visage he had confronted at the very end of his damned journey. This time every sharp bone and wrinkle, from the flash of those yellow eyes to the fall of the shoulder-length white hair, was perfectly replicated.

He really did look similar to Rosyth's father, though the resemblance was not as alike as Daniel had once thought. He jerked out of his reverie as Alexander's expression registered in his bemused mind: the man looked just as shocked to see Daniel as Daniel was to see him. That was a…change. Usually it was just rage or an unholy arrogance that twisted the demon's features.

When nothing happened for a long, uncomfortable minute, Daniel took a cautious step forward. "Hello?"

Recognition, an ecstatic realization, lit in those eerie eyes-Daniel remembered his past self had found them enchanting, the Daniel of now found them sickly, abhorrent. "Beloved?" The word broke at the end, the raw hope in it making Daniel squirm. He looked behind him and saw nothing but the dark.

"Pardon?" he asked turning back to the baron.

"Darling, it's me!" Alexander stepped toward Daniel who hastily took a step back. His eyes fell on the blood crusted ax in the baron's hand. Alexander appeared to notice the weapon for the first time and made haste to throw it behind him, arms stretching towards Daniel as he stepped over the corpse at his feet. "Darling, come here. Let me hold you!"

Daniel evaded him, skirting around the circle that not only illuminated them, but kept them confined. Of all the sick, twisted things his unconsciousness could inflict upon him…. "Sir, I am not your wife. Most assuredly not."

Alexander's hands dropped to his sides. He looked, of all things, hurt. "Darling, it's me!"

"I can see very well it is you, but I am not who you think you see! God, wake me from this dream." Daniel pressed the heel of his hand to his brow, surprised at how real the pressure felt against his skin.

"Dream?" Alexander tilted his head to the side and looked around him as if noticing their environment for the first time. He darted forward with a suddenness that had Daniel reeling back with a cry. The old man grabbed Daniel's wrist and yanked him close. A firm hand grabbed his chin and forced it up. Daniel closed his eyes not wanting to see Alexander scrutinize his face. He waited for Alexander's realization that he was not his beloved, waited for the pain as the old man took out his frustration upon him…It never came. Instead there was a brush of dry lips over his forehead. Daniel opened his eyes.

"A dream. Yes. And no." Knuckles dragged down Daniel's cheek in a gesture that was meant to be a caress. "Does this feel like a mere dream? Or this?" Again Daniel's chin was forced up, only this time it was followed by a kiss. It was the kind of kiss shared only by lovers, soft and demanding all at once. Heartbreakingly caring and just as heartrendingly ruthless. Daniel had missed these affections, had replayed them in his mind over and over each night before bed. How he longed for his Rosyth. If only he could keep his eyes closed, if only he could let himself pretend… Somehow he found the strength to push Alexander from him, though the man did not let himself be pushed far, his arms like iron bands wrapped around Daniel's waist.

"Please, sir. You are being cruel to me."

A soft, bitter laugh. "I think it is you who are being cruel to me." Alexander's eyes fell on the monstrosity at his feet. He gave it a savage kick. "It looks as if he has not outlived his usefulness after all." Another kick and Daniel fervently hoped that the near-corpse would not prove to have been himself by dream's end. Alexander's attention returned to him and Daniel had to jerk his head away to escape another kiss.

"Just stop this! Let me wake up!" He struggled against the embrace, but Alexander was much stronger than his guise of a frail, old man.

"This is not just a dream, my love! Look at me. Look at me!" Such pain and pleading in that voice, it was hypnotic. Daniel could not help but look, but all he saw was the source of all his nightmares. Alexander forced one of his hands to his own withered cheek. "Can you not recognize me?"

"I recognize you all too well, Alexander."

Alexander's eyes widened. "How do you know that name?" His voice was scarce above a whisper.

Daniel blinked at him, confused. "Why, because it is your name? Alex-"

"You do not call me that! Not you!" Daniel was shook so hard he swore his teeth rattled. The fear that had fled in the face of Alexander's confusion came back once more.

"You are hurting me…sir." Not as if that had ever stopped the baron before. Surprisingly this time it did. He was at once embraced tightly against Alexander's chest, soft kisses pressed over his eyelids, the bridge of his nose, the corner of his mouth…

"I am sorry." It was breathed against his temple and Daniel was aghast that he almost relaxed into the warmth of the other man.

"As am I. I am not your wife. Please let me go so I might wake up." The pain in Alexander's eyes made Daniel almost feel sorry for him.

"My love, look at me. Truly look at me! It is me, my love. It's your-"The blue flames went out casting all in a blackness so absolute Daniel at first thought he must have closed his eyes again.

A flame sparked in the dark, an ordinary orange in color. It caught and flared to life and Daniel saw that his lantern had been relit. A girl of around thirteen years of age was holding it aloft. She was small for her age, sickly. Her long brown hair hung lank down her back and over her face.

"Who the devil are you?"

"Not the devil, not to you at least." She may have smiled. Her voice was older than her appearance, the voice of a woman in her prime.

"I would like an answer to my question, please."

"And if I had an answer, I would give it to you." She gestured down at herself. "I did not pick the appearance, you did that. If I had to hazard a guess I would say I was someone from your past. That might not be of help to _you_ though, with your little...problem." The smile she gave was a knowing one and Daniel squirmed before it, uncomfortable of as sudden. "I am amazed that you remember your own name to be frank."

"I took pains to do so, lady." It also helped that he had written a letter to himself giving him the information.

She laughed and he thought it a good laugh, the kind only shared with close friends. "Come on, I will lead you back."

"Have I strayed?"

"Terribly far, though through no fault of your own." She held the lantern high and took his hand. Meek as a child, he followed her.

"What happened to Alexander? He was before me one minute and the next-"

"He can rot in whatever hell he has found himself," was his grim reply. "This way." She tugged on his hand to speed up his pace.

"He said it was not a mere dream," Daniel persisted.

"It was not, but I am taking you back to your normal dreams. You must take care to better guard your mind, Danny. It is so simple to become lost in dreams and to fall through them to…other places." She stopped. "Here we are."

The dark around them was turning into grey as if dawn were breaking in a sky he could not see. "Who are you? You seem so familiar to me."

He could see she smiled in truth now, a charming smirk as if she knew more than she would ever let on. "You know, Danny. You know very well who I am."

* * *

Bel'rok's son stood taller than his mother, taller than even the hulking brutes who often accompanied her to safeguard the cargo. Daniel gaped up at him, unsure what his reaction should be. He had been expecting a smaller, book-ish creature, something that looked more like a tinker, not the warrior before him.

"My mum says you have a problem that would benefit from my attention?"

Daniel jumped at the booming voice. "What? Oh, yes. The servants." The…tinker cocked his head to the side waiting for more information. Daniel was flustered. "Er…I want to turn them…off like."

"Off like? In my experience you turn a machine either off or on. I assume it's the former you'll be wanting?" Was there a twinkle of amusement in those bulbous eyes?

"Yes, that would be the one. Off. If you please."

"It's what pleases you as to why I am here! Or I should say what pleases my mum, as pleasing you will please her." The tinker waved a hand at the doors giving Daniel permission to lead him inside.

"I…" Daniel looked behind him at the entrance. "Oh! Of course. This way."

The brute cast a curious eye along the entrance chamber, veering off to place a hand on the machine that guarded the keep. "Fair bit of nuts and bolts, this. Old. Impressive that it is running still."

"My…That is, the owner of this castle is very adept at machinery."

"Heard you've a fair hand at it yourself. Part of the reason why Mum is so interested in abducting you." He grinned as Daniel flinched at his words. "Aw, little thing. You shouldn't listen to the stories about us. We only abduct those who are wishing to be abducted."

"I…did not know that such stories existed."

With a last, loving pat to the machine, the tinker again indicated that he was ready to move on. Daniel took a deep breath to steady himself and complied.

The elevator was most stifling with the overly large visitor, his baggage and Daniel himself. Daniel had to flatten himself against the wall to get room to breathe. "I was thinking we could go to the workroom. All the tools we should need would be there."

"A workroom is an ideal place for tools, yes." Again Daniel flushed. It had been a long time since he had felt like someone was making fun of him at his own expense.

"Unless you want to see your room first? I assume your journey was a long one." It was certainly a surprising one. Daniel had expected Bel'rok's son to come with the next visit from the caravan, not turn up by himself out of the blue.

"I'm to stay here?"

"Why of course. Unless…you do not want to?"

"Not a matter of wanting or not. Just I don't think one of the Nel'rum has ever offered us hospitality." He lingered over the word, drawing it out to a degree that was almost mocking.

"I am not one of the Nel'rum," Daniel mumbled.

The tinker studied him. "No," he said finally. "I am coming to realize that." It meant something more than it seemed, but Daniel was unsure what. "I will see my rooms first then. I have little enough baggage to set down, but set it down I will." Little enough? To Daniel it seemed that the tinker had brought a caravan's worth of gear in his overstuffed bags!

Not knowing where to keep the brash visitor, Daniel decided that his old guestroom would be best. The tinker was impressed with the heated walls and floor, placing a hand against the smooth black surfaces and making admiring noises.

"If you need anything you can send for me by Maria. She'll come to check on you from time to time."

"Thank you." He dropped his large bag onto the bed and watched it bounce with almost a boyish glee. "Will have been a long time since I've slept in a proper bed."

"There is also a bathing room through the door there." Daniel indicated the room. "It should still be well supplied-"

"Your name is Dani'el then?"

Daniel flinched. "Daniel. Yes. I am sorry, I've been frightfully rude. I forgot all about introductions. I am Daniel." He extended a hand and then felt foolish doing so.

Bel'rok's son took his hand easily enough though and offered him a broad smile. "Just Daniel? No family name with it or 'of anywhere' behind it? Not even the name of the one who keeps you?"

"If I ever hailed from anywhere, I have given up its claim on me long ago, and I am kept by no one!" He tried to draw back his hand, but the infernal creature kept a firm hold of him.

"Calm, I meant no disrespect. I was only curious." He looked Daniel over and chuckled. "Such an odd, prickly thing you are. Like a little bird that fluffs out its feathers all the time! I can see why Mum took to you so fast." He tapped his temple. "I am Mer'rok, son of Bel'rok and of the clan Therpish, wardens of the ways and watchers of the Waste. See how impressive titles are, little bird?"

"Is the 'rok' at the end an indication of the family you are from?"

"It is to show I am the eldest child, as my mother was the oldest of her mother's brood."

"I see. Thank you." Daniel was successful in drawing back his hand this time. He rubbed at it absently. "Do you want to see the workroom now or would you like a day to rest?"

"Time to rest? You are indeed a good host!" he boomed. Daniel cringed.

"Yes. I mean, I shall come fetch you around dinner time, yes?"

"And I am even to sup at the table of the lordling!"

"Sir, you mock me."

"I do," he admitted completely unrepentant. "But I only do so because you will soon be part of the 'family'."

Daniel had to avert his eyes at that. So Bel'rok really did expect him to come with the clan after her son did his work.

"Don't be so morose, lad. Like I said, we never force those we steal." He dropped Daniel a wink.

* * *

Daniel had almost forgiven Mer'rok his rudeness by the end of dinner. Since the night was a fine one, they had their supper out in the garden. Mer'rok was more at ease out of doors and Daniel did not blame him; the castle had become claustrophobic of late. He still teased Daniel throughout the meal, but good food in his belly mellowed him.

At the end of the meal, Mer'rok pulled forth a pipe much like his mother's from one of his various pockets. He lit it with a strange device that seemed to be able to make fire with just a flip of a switch at its side. "Like that, do you?" he asked noticing Daniel's interest. "Here. I have others." He threw the device at Daniel who fumbled to catch it.

"It is just that I have never seen anything its like before." Daniel felt like a simple child in this man's presence and could not help but be petulant about it.

"Do not sulk! Here, let's have a story. Stories go well after meals. I have a fair one about those ruins near you." Daniel was nonplussed that Bel'rok would see fit to tell her son that much about his interests. "Do you know how it was cast down?"

"Rosyth had said something about his ancestors having fought with the people who once claimed this area."

"Not too far off. This land used to be lush, a grassland that stretched as far as the eye could see like a sea of crimson. The folk who ruled it knew that to truly rule something, one must be its guardian and not its master, so they were a wise people as well as peaceful."

Despite himself Daniel felt himself relax to the rising and lowering cadence of Mer'rok's speech. "But of course when somewhere is seen as a utopia, a paradise, it cannot stay that way for long. And as always, the culprit was love."

A typical tale of love and the punishment that came from loving outside of one's kind followed. The prince of the grasslands met a woman of exceptional beauty and unearthly grace wandering around in a daze. He took her in, nursed her to health and in doing so welcomed in his doom.

In a pretty twist of the tale it turned out she was a princess from a rival kingdom that had always sought to throw down the grasslands and take the fertile lands for itself. Surprisingly the woman did not turn out to be evil in the end, only a mere victim of her heritage and birth, cast out in fact for not giving in to her family's love of violence and worship of death.

The tale came to a climatic end when war was waged between the two kingdoms and the prince and princess had taken refuge in the nearby temple. An ancestor of the young prince's appeared to him in a vision and told the young man that victory could only be given to his armies if he killed his one true love. The ancestor gave the man a dagger and faded into the very air. As this was going on an ancestor of the young woman's appeared to her-deceased ancestors were always popping in and out of people's lives in those days, Mer'rok explained. This ancestor gave her a dagger as well and bade her use it to kill her betrothed for her kin could only come to know peace if he died by her hand. Thus saying this bit of unwelcome advice, the spirit dissolved into the very earth.

Typical to this sort of tale, the lovers chose to die by their own hand instead of destroying the one thing they cherished most in the world. And thus they ended up damning their own kind in their selfishness. The young man's people succumbed to the dark, annihilated down to the last babe. The woman's people, though triumphant, conquered barren land that was soon turned to a wasteland through their perversions and love of carnage, for nothing they ever did could slake their unending thirst for blood.

Daniel turned his head away as Mer'rok concluded his tale. The tinker slowly turned it back towards him with a finger under his jaw. "See here, lad. I didn't mean to make you cry."

"You didn't, I just…" He scrubbed at his face in embarrassment.

"I should have known better than to tell you a story of doomed love. Not in your," he glanced around himself, "situation."

"It was very much like a famous play from the world I come from," Daniel explained, hoping to change the subject. "They only managed to hurt themselves though. In fact their deaths end up drawing their warring families into peace."

"Bit foolish, that. No peace ever came through death. None worth having at least." Mer'rok rose to his feet and helped Daniel to his. "Come Lordling, I do believe it is time for your bed and me to mine. Perhaps you can tell us a cheerier tale tomorrow, eh?"

"I know no cheery tales, sir."

"You'll have all night and day to make one up then. Hello, who's this?"

Maria materialized out of the gloom, veil thrown back , her posture defiant.

"Maria, it is all right. I am fine," Daniel said stepping in front of Mer'rok's bulk. "She must have sensed how the story had distressed me and come to see if I was all right."

"Maria," Mer'rok said the name slowly. "Mum told me about her." He tapped his temple and gave her a small bow. To Daniel's amazement she returned it with one of her awkward curtsies. "What is she?" Mer'rok whispered out of the side of his mouth as if Maria might overhear and take offense.

"She is one of the servants here. She has become overly attached to me with time," Daniel added hoping that would be enough to explain her oddness.

"A servant? No." Mer'rok reached over Daniel's shoulder to touch her cheek. Before his fingers could brush her skin, she took a step back. With one of her almost smiles on her face she turned and let the shadows swallow her once more. "Whatever she is, that woman is no one's servant."

That night sleep was hard to come by. The dream of the previous night kept getting mixed up with the story Mer'rok had told him, daggers and corpses and the feel of lips against his own... Finally Daniel gave sleep up as a lost cause and rose to sit at his desk. He looked through his journal, thinking of the tinker's tale. Maybe it was worth a mention in his book he thought, taking up a pen to copy it down. He would have to ask Mer'rok more about the origins of it tomorrow and if any variations existed.

* * *

Daniel could not bring himself to eat breakfast the next morning. His stomach was in turmoil from his lack of sleep and the task they would enact today. After collecting Mer'rok from his rooms and leading him to the workroom, Daniel bade Maria to fetch the servants one by one.

"Mum was right. Partly at least," Mer'rok murmured picking up the device that Daniel had been working on, a contraption that regulated the temperature of water. "Turns out you are more than fair at the trade."

"Not as skilled as my…There are others more skilled than I."

"Humble thing, aren't you?" Mer'rok set the little machine down. "You're shaking."

"I am not." He was, but he stuffed his hands in his pockets hoping that Mer'rok would let the lie go. He did not.

"You are. Are you worried about today's endeavors?" He snorted. "Stupid question. Forgive me. Why are you worried about it would be a better question."

Daniel picked up the wielding tool and twisted it around and around in his fingers. "It is only that…they are truly dead, aren't they? We aren't in fact…"

He had not noticed Mer'rok approaching him until the other man's hand wrapped warmly around his shoulder. "Calm, little bird. We are not their murderers. They died long ago and their spirits have already fled."

"But Maria…"

"Is an exceptional case and one we will puzzle over later. Ah and here is our first patient of the day, Lordling Dani'el."

 _First victim_ , Daniel could not help but amend with a shudder. Mer'rok walked around the servant who now stood motionless before them. "Though it has the seeming of a maiden, it truly is just a corpse filled with gears and rods and a-" he said a word that Daniel did not understand. His incomprehension must have shown on his face for Mer'rok waved his hand in the air as he grasped for a different phrasing. "It's a small stone, like, with a symbol on it. A symbol supposedly handed down-or up I should say-from their gods." He looked as if he meant to spit to the side and remembered himself just in time.

"I…never knew that the…" He did not know the word for 'arcane' in the traders' tongue. "that magic had a place in their creation."

"They really are nasty pieces of work. Your lover must have had one hell of a twisted mind to have stumbled upon the ways to bring them 'life'."

Daniel dropped his eyes to the floor, shamed that he had not a ready defense for his Rosyth. He secretly agreed though that it was a knowledge that had been best left undiscovered and he had often wondered himself what had possessed Rosyth to attempt the unwholesome task in the first place.

"Best to work then," Mer'rok said clapping his hands. "Now let us look at this little beauty." He lifted the veil from her head and Daniel started as he recognized her face; it was the servant he had first been 'introduced' to so long ago. When Mer'rok made to undo the rest of her garments, Daniel stayed him with a hand to his wrist.

"Can we not preserve their modesty?"

A look both pitying and amused flashed through Mer'rok's eyes. "I wish I could, lad. But we need to search her to find the…" he floundered for the right word, "for the key to turn her off."

"We will not have to...hurt her will we?"

"If you mean open her up, probably, eventually." Daniel blanched. "But we will be as quick as can be. She cannot feel pain. She is beyond it now. We are doing nothing but giving her body to the ground as it should have been years ago."

"Have you ever done something like this before?" Daniel asked as he stepped back, watching Mer'rok disrobe her. He was pleased to see that Mer'rok's gestures and glances remained professional. He gently began to poke her, then stroked a thumb along where her bones had once been.

"I have had the misfortune of having to stop one before. Circumstances made it…rather messy. We will try to avoid that this time though. Easy enough to do when these haven't been ordered to slit my throat."

"They can kill?"

A wry glance was shot his way. "Their masters can make them do all sorts of nasty things." He moved behind her and was caressing her spine, muttering to himself as he did.

"What are we looking for?"

"Mum did mention you were the inquisitive sort. Always peppering her with questions, she said. Oh, don't look that way, she loves it and me, I don't mind it. I am looking for, Lordling Dani'el, the lynch pin as it were. In any machine there is always that one piece the whole of it rests on and in this case, it's that stone I told you of. If we can destroy that, perhaps we grind this poor dear to a dignified halt."

Mer'rok whistled and traced along her shoulder blades. "This might have to get a bit improper in a minute. You can leave the room if you want. You seem delicate."

Daniel opened his mouth, an angry retort ready, when a hand closed around his shoulder. Maria moved around him and made her way to her sister in servitude. She held Mer'rok's gaze for a long moment. Unnerved, he moved aside, looking at Daniel for help. Daniel could only shrug. Maria was a law unto herself.

She dropped Mer'rok a small bob of thanks and began her own slow walk around Rosyth's creation. Finally she reached out and touched the corpse: under the ribs, the base of the spine and the hollow of the throat. She then looked over her shoulder at Mer'rok, an eyebrow raised.

"One of those three places then?" Mer'rok asked.

A graceful tilt of her head. He sighed nosily, placing his hands on his hips. "We will have to perform surgery after all. Are you up for assisting?" Daniel realized that he was addressing Maria and not himself.

"I am more than able to help you, Mister Mer'rok."

"Are you now?"

"I have done something its like before." He could not hide his shudder.

"You don't have to make yourself though, little bird. You've done enough to ask us to bring them peace. I have no idea how much of them will still be…fresh. This could be gruesome work."

Daniel opened his mouth to again assure them that he was more than capable, then shut it again as he remembered his dream. A bloodied carcass on the floor, ribs sticking up out of just ragged strips of flesh, and the blood…He had forgotten what the stench of blood was like, that it could be so thick one could almost taste copper in the back of one's throat. He gagged, had to press a hand to his mouth and close his eyes to will the nausea to pass.

When he opened them again, Maria was before him. She gently took hold of his arm and started to lead him towards the door. Daniel stopped as they drew abreast of Mer'rok. "I am sorry. I did not mean to make you do such unpleasant business alone."

Mer'rok waved the apology away. "As messy as it is, it is good work. Besides, I will not be alone."

Maria gave a small tilt of the head in acknowledgement before she started to firmly usher Daniel out of the room again.

Daniel had to lie down when he reached his chambers. A headache had stricken him as he had walked back by himself to his rooms, forcing him to fetch a rag soaked in cold water to place over his eyes. He wondered how many servants there actually were in this castle. He had never attempted to count them before, had never thought to ask. How much blood would stain the floor by the time Mer'rok was done with his grim task? Blood or whatever passed as such that ran through their synthetic veins.

As pain ridden as he was, somehow he must have nodded off, for when next he opened his eyes Maria was sitting beside him on the bed.

"It is over?"

She nodded, reaching over to lift up the cloth and bathe Daniel's sweaty face.

"I am such a coward," he muttered, turning away from her.

Gently she turned his face back and slowly shook her head. She tapped his chest, over his heart, and gave one of her soft smiles.

"So you are of the opinion that I am of a delicate nature as well?"

She nodded, but tapped his heart again, harder this time.

"It is no bad thing sometimes, though. Is that your meaning?"

The tweak to his nose was a shock and forced a laugh from him. "I suppose I must play the host once more. I owe our Master Mer'rok a story for his work at the very least." With help from Maria, he rose to his feet. Halfway to the door he realized that they would have to meet in the kitchens and cook their own meal that night.

* * *

"Again, I thank you for your help, Master Mer'rok." Daniel gave the tinker a bow. Mer'rok crushed Daniel to him in a fierce hug.

"Anything to help a member of the family."

"I have told you, I do not plan to join your mother anytime soon."

"You will though. Give it another year and you will." Mer'rok glanced over his shoulder at the castle. He frowned. "Have you no friends to come visit? I dislike the idea of you two alone in such a haunted place."

"I have two rather close friends that reside at the capital. I have invited them before, but sadly due to the current political…upheaval, they deemed it unwise to draw undo attention to themselves." _And me_ , went unspoken. He remembered Bel'rok's advice to not remind the emperor of his presence and thought that Ke'thrala was of the same mind.

"If you won't mind, I'll swing by myself from time to time. Could do with another pair of hands and the use of your tools for some of my wares."

"And you would be welcomed anytime!" Daniel was pleasantly surprised that the giant tinker had seemed to take to him so. As starved for company as he had been, Daniel was almost pathetically grateful.

"Wouldn't mind tasting your cooking again either. Can see why you lord took you for his own!"

"He didn't 'take' me for my domestic skills." As soon as the words were out of his mouth he flushed as he realized how they could be interpreted. Mer'rok did not spare him and laughed mercilessly.

"I am sure that is true. You'll have to forgive me, but I think I will just have to trust the good Lord of the Keep's word on that subject."

Thankfully, Maria came up beside Daniel and dropped Mer'rok one of her odd curtsies. "Do you think me selfish?" Daniel asked, looking from Maria back to Mer'rok.

Mer'rok gave Maria a peculiar look. Something unreadable passed between them and he turned back to Daniel with his hearty smile once more firmly in place. "I would not begrudge you the company, little bird. Besides, I doubt I could have put her to rest. No man will be able to put her to rest until she is good and ready."

"Why is that?" Daniel asked, perplexed at Mer'rok's use of the future tense. Surely Maria's death had already happened and after all the assurances that there were no souls lingering in the servants…

"She…She is…dead, isn't she? Like properly so?" His voice trembled as he asked it. His eyes sought Maria's face, but she was looking steadfastly at Mer'rok.

Mer'rok drew in a sharp breath through his teeth. "I can't say for certain, Dani'el. I will tell you this though. There is no little word of power in her that gives her 'life' and I have never known a corpse to have a heartbeat." With that he gave Daniel a sort of salute and spurred his horse on.

Daniel and Maria stood together, watching until his shape was only a black speck against the sand and soon not even that. "Maria," Daniel murmured, turning to face her. "Would you permit me to…?" He reached out, his hand hovering over her pale neck.

It felt like an age before she tilted her head back, exposing her throat to him. Daniel pressed two fingers over where her jugular had been once. At first there was nothing and he almost sighed in relief. Then there was a faint flutter against his fingertips, soft as a butterflies wings, but there all the same.


	29. Chapter 29

The orchids were blooming again, another spring had come upon him and still no sign of his Rosyth. He tried not to give in to the swirling whirlpool of depression that had taken up residence in his heart. It was getting harder to resist its call. With his book on the ruins around their estate complete, there was nothing for him to divert himself with. There were still the occasional visits from Bel'rok and her son and the missives from his friends in the capital, but with time the distraction they used to bring was growing less and less.

A hand closed on his shoulder and Daniel shut his eyes. "Are you telling me I should not brood so, Maria?" He turned to look at his enigma, a small smile on his face which faded at the sight of her. Her expression was drawn and wary, her shoulders tense. "Has something happened? Are you all right?" Daniel was on his feet at once, grasping her. If anything were to happen to her, if he were here alone…he would slowly lose his mind.

She shook herself free and beckoned him to follow. As agitated as she now, Daniel trailed after her, twisting the ring on his finger around and around. She led him to the elevator and down to the ground floor. With a flick of her wrist to the machine, she indicated he was meant to turn it off. He complied with a show of reluctance. The lightning that protected their home from intruders fizzled and died.

Was it his imagination, or did Maria draw in a breath to steady herself as she soundless glided to the door? Perhaps they had a visitor, perhaps…He tried to smother the hope before it fully formed. He could not take another disappointment, another heartbreak.

The door was thrown open and Daniel had to rise on his toes to see over Maria's shoulders. He reeled back immediately. It was a creature from his nightmares, a misshapen monstrosity, its jaws hanging open onto its breast, it eyes bulbous and unblinking. He pulled on Maria's robe, urging her to flee back to the elevator, to slam the door in that damned thing's face.

She looked over her shoulder and raised a finger to her lips. Calm down? The nerve! Did she not realize the danger that was at their very doorstep? She turned her attention back to their guest and extended a hand imperiously to it. The creature grunted and flung an arm out at Daniel, who shrank behind Maria's tall form.

Her shoulders rose and fell and she again extended her hand to the creature, palm up. The creature looked at her, then at Daniel. Apparently giving him up for a lost cause, he placed his charge into her waiting palm: a thought-canister.

Maria snarled and Daniel jumped, still not used to her occasion utterance. She pointed-with one finger-into the Waste. Their gruesome visitor made a violent slashing motion in the air between them. It gestured at the canister and then stabbed a finger at Daniel. He did not need it explained to him that the creature had been told to wait for a reply to whatever message it had been forced to bring.

With a tilt of her head to show she understood, Maria slammed the door in the messenger's face. When Daniel held out his hands for the canister, she hesitated, glancing down. A shudder ran down his spine. Was it bad news then? Was it a missive to tell him that…That Rosyth had… Almost sick now, he put a shaking hand on Maria's arm. "Please, my friend. You will have to let me have it eventually."

Her black eyes studied his face for a long moment. She tapped the crest on the side of the canister, bringing it to Daniel's attention. "Oh," he said weakly, his blood turning to ice water within his veins; the missive hailed from the emperor. "Is there any way we can…" He made a pushing gesture and wondered what he had meant by it. Destroy the messenger and pretend they had never received the message? Throw the damn thing away or damage it and blame it on their guest?

She held it out to him, shaking her head. Whatever the thought-canister bore, it was inevitable. When his hand closed around it, images rose in his mind; words being written on a blankness that filled his world. Even though the script was still beyond him despite his studies, he could understand it as long as he clutched the device. As soon as the blood-red writing was finished with a flourish, Daniel threw the canister across the room. His breath was coming too fast, his throat almost rubbed raw by it. He took a step towards the elevator and staggered, his old injury giving a rare flare of pain.

Maria's hand shot out and steadied him. Daniel tried to speak, but no sound would leave his lips. He looked up at her in misery, a clear invitation for her to wrap her arms around him and gather him to her breast. Her hand stroked his hair, his back, soothing him as if he were a small child. Daniel welcomed it, needed it as he struggled with his emotions.

Finally he gained enough control to fist his hands in her robe and pull away. Rubbing his face and then smoothing back his hair, he began to pace. She pointed at the canister.

"It was from the emperor himself. He wants me to…" His vision started to grow grey around the edges and he tried to dispel it with a vicious shake of his head. "He has personally 'wrote' to tell me that he regrets to have to be the one to inform me that all hope of either of my…friends"-the emperor had written a word whose meaning was closer to 'suitors'-"returning is now little to nil." Daniel laughed and cringed when what came out made him seem unhinged. "He offers me succor in the capital, advising that being closer to my friends will help me through my grief." He spat out a curse he had not known he remembered until that moment. "The nerve! This damned thing is practically a royal summons! How can I possibly refuse?" Daniel's hand went up to his neck as he remembered Hy'vel's work for the court's entertainment. Surely the emperor had found a suitable replacement by now. "How can I go?" he muttered. The warnings from Bel'rok rang through his head. Without a doubt retuning to the capital would spell his death.

Maria's arm was around his shoulders again and he turned so his cheek was pressed into the curve of her neck. "What am I to do? Either way would spell my doom."

Maria gestured at the canister and put her palms together-not an easy task with Daniel still latched on to her. She slowly drew them apart and then gestured again at the damned thing.

"I should ask for more time," Daniel hazarded. "But it is surely a delaying tactic only. We will have to think of something else besides that."

Her nod was almost enthusiastic. She motioned at themselves and then flung a hand out to indicate the door.

"We flee." Daniel's voice was small. "Oh Maria, I do not know if-"

She stabbed a finger at the metal cylinder and then pointed in the direction the capital surely must have lain. Her eyebrow was raised in challenge.

"And if your brother returns to find the keep empty, what then?"

The expression on her face, the contempt in it, made Daniel draw back. Obviously she thought it would serve her brother right to come home to an empty house. Daniel's stomach gave a painful clench. "At the very least, I will ask the emperor for more time. I can play the part of the sorrowful, still hopeful lover all too well."

Maria snorted and Daniel jumped. "Maria, please!" She truly was getting more…human with the passing years. It was times like this one when he almost missed her eerie silences. He fetched the canister from where it had rolled and grimaced at the small dent in the side. Hopefully the emperor would think it damaged in the trip. Daniel smiled grimly. No, he would guess properly how it had come about. Guess and be pleased at the torment he had inflicted. "Bastard," Daniel said under his breath as he pressed the hidden button that would erase the message and let him 'write' one of his own.

When the messenger had the canister tucked into his voluminous sleeve, it gave Daniel a quick bow before it turned to leave.

"I assume it came by a Traveller's Locket." Maria did not reply, her eyes focused on the diminishing shape as if to make sure it was well and truly leaving.

Daniel crossed his arms and leaned against the doorway, exhausted of a sudden. "I asked for a year. To make sure. I also gave a bunch of twaddle about being touched by his concern and how he took the time to remember little, insignificant me."

Maria raised an eyebrow and Daniel gave her a playful shove. "Stop that, you are as bad as Rosyth! If anything he means to murder me, not bed me!"

Maria huffed and rolled her eyes. There was nothing for Daniel to do but laugh.

* * *

He knew he must be dreaming for he was nestled in a cocoon of furs and there was the crackling of a fire. When he had fallen asleep, the night had been unseasonably warm, forcing him to kick off his sheets and open the wall unto the garden. He also appeared to be nude, something he had not indulged in since Maria had practically taken up residence in his room.

A hand ran down his back, fingers barely skimming his spine and Daniel shivered despite the warmth of the room. He was not alone in this bed it seemed.

"It's working," the voice that murmured in his ear sounded surprised-and ungodly pleased.

Daniel stiffened under the caresses, steeling himself to slowly turn over to see his bedmate. Alexander smirked down at him, propped up on his elbow. It was a struggle to not groan and roll back over, pulling the blankets over his head.

"Pray, what is work-" He let out a startled cry as Alexander grabbed his chin and claimed his lips. In spite of its violence, there was a certain degree of finesse in the kiss. If Daniel only closed his eyes, it was almost as if… He tried to push Alexander away from him, but was rewarded with bony fingers twisting in his hair for his efforts. When Alexander finally let them part, both men were gasping for breath. Daniel did not like the hungry look in Alexander's feral eyes, nor the way the hand under the blanket was now on his thigh, light as a spider.

"Sir," he began, attempting to reason with the mad man. Alexander crushed Daniel to him again, kissing not only his mouth, but any part of his face that he could reach in spite of Daniel's struggles. Keeping a firm hold of his prize, he buried his face in Daniel's hair.

"I had almost forgotten how you smelled."

Revolted, Daniel bit at the collarbone his face was presently smashed against. It did not get the reaction he had been hoping for as a purring type of sound reverberated through the chest he rested against and he was soon thrown flat on his back.

It took Alexander no time at all to roll on top of him and effortlessly hold his wrists still by pinning them to the mattress. The baron was unclothed as well, Daniel was not happy to notice. Inside himself there was a treacherous little squirm as his body recalled what usually followed such play in bed. And the white hair and gold eyes were not so unlike his Rosyth's and it had been such a long, long time since that particular hunger had been appeased…Besides, it was only a dream.

Daniel caught himself leaning up to meet Alexander's mouth and flattened himself against the pillows. "Sir, please stop!" Alexander chuckled and brushed their noses together, nipping the tip. "I am bespoken," Daniel finally managed to squeak out.

That halted Alexander. A white eyebrow arched and he pushed himself up to get a good look at his prey. "Bespoken, is it?" The smile on his thin lips was almost playful. "Your lover has been neglecting you, if I am any judge." His tone was teasing, though the roll of hips decidedly was not.

Daniel had to bite his lip to keep silent. One of his wrists was released and fingers ran through his hair, pausing to give a strand a tug. Alexander lowered his voice, "Perhaps you would permit me to fulfill the duties owed you." He lowered himself until he and Daniel were pressed firmly together. Daniel clutched at his shoulder, fingers scrabbling against the surprising muscle he found there. "Let's test how bespoken you really are." The words were whispered into his ear, followed by a bite on his earlobe. Daniel shuddered and Alexander made a noise that was almost a moan. "I've missed you." It was almost a sob.

Daniel shot bolt upright in the bed- _his_ bed he was pleased to see. His heart was pounding hard against his ribs and he pressed his hand against it.

Maria raised her head from its perch on the arm of the chair she was presently curled up in. Daniel forced a quivering smile. "It was only a dream."

Slowly she returned to her slumber and Daniel just as slowly lay back down. Surely it was not adultery if it was a dream, but he still felt dirty. He cursed his sleeping mind. What a cruel, cruel organ it was to give him such dreams in times of stress. Taking his longing for Rosyth and twisting it up to where the only way he could get satisfaction was by lying in the arms of his worst enemy! He muttered a prayer before he closed his eyes. He prayed for a dreamless rest, and he prayed for his Rosyth's return.

* * *

Daniel was surprised at the quick return of their fiendish messenger 'boy'. Scarce two days had passed before he was knocking on their door again. Maria and the monstrosity eyed one another warily as Daniel touched the cylinder to unlock the message. Again the spidery, blood-red script filled his mind and again the message left him with a disquiet that shook him to the marrow of his bones.

The demand was prettily crouched in terms of concern and even endearment. Reading between the lines Daniel could tell that the fiend was restraining himself from sending an armed battalion to Daniel's gate and dragging him out by the hair, which made the small acquiescence to his wish surprising. Maybe not that surprising after all, Daniel mused tapping the canister against his cheek in thought. Was it not more fun, more satisfying, to have one's prey walk into the lion's den of their own volition?

The emperor would not give him a full year, but the turning of two seasons only. At the end of that, he would expect Daniel to take his place in court. There was a small assurance that his property would still be his, but for his 'safety' the emperor would much prefer to have Daniel somewhere where an eye could be kept on him.

"I wonder if he suspects that I might be the cause of the sedition that is running rife?" Daniel had to laugh at the thought. Surely the man could not be that paranoid. If anything, Daniel's first and last visit to the capital had proven how ignorant and bumbling he was when it came to the culture of this land.

He sent his thanks to the emperor, making sure the reply was suitably humble and touched. Two seasons…It was not much, but it was better than an order for his immediate presence.

As soon as the messenger had turned to leave, Maria was tugging on his sleeve, pointing to the distance. He patted her hand. "I know, Maria. And I will. Just give me a bit more time."

The reason for the emperor's leniency came the day after, brought by a runner from Bel'rok's band. Daniel offered the exhausted girl a room in the castle for the night, but she looked at him aghast. "The place is not haunted," he assured her with a smile.

"If it isn't, it's a miracle." She peered up at the impossible peaks and spires. "I would rather not take my chances. If it isn't haunted, it sure as the hells is cursed."

Daniel sighed. He had been looking forward to a spot of company. He still sought to be as hospitable as possible and offered the girl a meal for her troubles. This she had no qualms accepting. Standing at the door and waving at her periodically as she turned to thank him again and again, he remembered the reason for her visit.

The envelope was crumbled and the stains of travel were upon it. Recognizing the handwriting, he ripped open the seal and skimmed over the message. "Our friends at the capital are loyal; I will say that for them. Loyal or fool hearty." Maria materialized out of the shadows and cocked her head in query.

"Ke'thrala stood up to the emperor on my account," he explained. Maria's flinch did not go unnoticed. Not for the first time Daniel wondered about their connection, if they had been especially close friends. "She begged him to consider my sensitive state of mind," he continued, "and counseled that letting me come to terms with Rosyth's…absence in my own time would be best for me." He snorted. "As if the emperor gives a fig to my 'sensitivities'. I cannot tell if she described me as a shrinking violet or off with the fairies… Regardless, she got what she sought out to do: buy me time." He left out the part of Franmarrow's letter where he stressed that Ke'thrala had put herself in the way of harm, both to her reputation and to her body, to beseech the emperor. Daniel did not know what to make of the last few lines which stated that even though the couple had offered to have Daniel stay with them, the emperor had refused and insisted he stay in accommodations in the palace. Those lines were rather ominous and he did not see the need to worry Maria over them.

"We could place a fun bet on this: what are the emperor's intentions with me? Death or…"

Maria smacked his face lightly and pointed vehemently to the doors. Daniel smiled. "You are right. It would be an unfair wager since we will not be here to find out the answer."

* * *

Saying he would leave his home and all the wonderful memories he and Rosyth had made within its walls was one thing, actually making himself make it a reality was an entirely different creature. Maria had to cajole, threaten and finally force him to begin his packing. It was a hard task. Though he had thought he had had little in the way of personal possessions, when confronted with the choice of what he would take and what must be left behind he realized that he had entirely too many. And too many memories he would feel he was betraying if he were to leave anything behind. He knew that Maria went through his bags after him and made more practical decisions. He thought it was practical of _him_ not to go behind her back and check what she had taken away and what she had replaced it with.

They methodically went through the castle room by room, combing for anything that might be useful on their travels. Afterwards the door of the room they had finished searching would be closed and Daniel would raise a shaking hand to trace the symbol that would lock it. Only his hand or Rosyth's would open that door next. He also started the grim task of turning off the machines in the attic that they had no need for anymore. He was consigning entire wings to eternal darkness and felt sick with each twist of his spanner.

Less than a week before they were meant to leave with Bel'rok's caravan and Daniel still could not make himself believe that he would really leave. A new chapter of his life was about to begin…and he did not welcome it. He was so tired of starting over, had thought he had finally earned a bit of peace for the remainder of his days. What a fool he was.

The morning was spent writing a letter to Franmarrow. It was innocuous enough, but he had faith that his friend was astute enough to read beyond the phrasing to understand that it was a goodbye. He hoped that it would not be forever.

Afterwards, he leaned back in his chair and absently stroked the leather bound book. His book. When he had first received it from Franmarrow he had kept it by his side for days, reaching into his pocket to caress it as if it were some sort of pet. Now the novelty of it has worn off, but he still liked it near. It acted as a sort of testament, a sign that he was real and not a forgotten ghost. He wondered if the publication of it was what had brought the emperor's attention back to him again. Ah, well. He would not change it if he could. The writing of it had given him a measure of peace.

Daniel stood and placed the book under his arm. He supposed he should start thinking of writing another. Bel'rok had promised him the visiting of grander ruins and he should not let such an opportunity go to waste. Maria rose for her chair to accompany him, but he waved her to be seated once more. "I need to take a walk by myself, my friend. My head is in want of clearing." She was not happy with it but let him. Perhaps she worried for his mental state. He wished he could assure her that he had no plans of throwing himself from the parapets. He could not deny that she was very keen when it came to reading his moods though.

Instead of going to the gardens, he followed his habitual walk to the newer wing of the floor. He paused at the open corridor and stared out at the desert. How odd that he was finally going to see what lay beyond those dunes. The guestroom was his next stop. He had to blink away the tears that suddenly sprang to his eyes and shake himself angrily.

Here was where it had all began, his ill fated romance. Here his Rosyth had nursed him back to health; here they had begun to fall in love with one another. Daniel had to smile as he remembered what an awkward piece of work he had been in those first few weeks. As rickety on his feet as a new born colt, his mind ravaged by the events that had transpired to bring him to this lonely keep with its taciturn guardian. Tumbling out of bed and crawling to the bathing room, falling asleep in Rosyth's lap with those graceful fingers in his hair…

He wiped the tears from his eyes with the heel of his hand. They had been happy. Even if it was only for little over a year, they had found happiness in each other. It was more than Daniel had expected when he had fled the terror of Brennenburg, when he had awoken to find himself in the Waste. Most people go through their whole lives without finding their soul mate. He was lucky to have had him, he kept telling himself, but it did little to ease the pain in his chest as his heart broke.

Maria found him as dusk was breaking. After the guestroom, Daniel had gone to Rosyth's rooms and, after wandering aimlessly around them, had taken up a vigil on the balcony. The soft tapping on the wall did not make him turn around. "My friend," he said softly. "Leave me. If you have any love for me at all, leave me here. Just for tonight." She squeezed his shoulder and left with the sound of her robes scrapping the smooth floor.

"I am no longer afraid of the night," he said to the rising moon. "You helped me with that, my love. You…" Daniel collapsed against the railing and wept. Come tomorrow he would be strong for Maria, he would smile as they met Bel'rok's caravans and he would be thankful, but tonight, just tonight, he could let his grief ride him. He could mourn his lost love properly and he could finally admit to himself that there would be no homecoming. Rosyth was lost among the worlds, among the stars, and his gods had not even the decency to give his lover a body to weep over.

He spent the night curled up beneath the gruesome bones of the dragon-he did not know if it was so in truth, but it did look very much like one. Gazing up at its toothy maw upon waking he felt a twinge of regret. All the small fights he had had with his Rosyth, all the moments of piqué and bickering that would have been better spent making love or just holding a hand. If he had only known how little time they would have had left.

* * *

Breakfast was on the table with a sprig of orchids. Touched, he reached out for a cup of Oo-luk. The cup was still warm. Maria must have just missed his awakening. He had to keep his blessings in mind if he were to get through this. He was not alone. He had his sweet Maria and his friends, he still had people who cared about him and would grieve him if he were to give in to the yawning despair that wanted to consume him. Rosyth had been right; this Daniel was a survivor. Whatever came, he would live through it. For those who loved him. For the memory of his Rosyth.

Maria came for the tray. Daniel noted her change of wardrobe. No longer the thick robes that hid her form, but a pair of breeches and a tunic fastened tightly around her slender frame with a complicated belt. With a start Daniel realized that she was wearing his clothes. No, he had been wearing hers. Hy'vel had been right. "Are we to leave today then?" Daniel asked.

She tilted her head to the side.

"I see." His hand trembled as he set down his cup. He clasped it tightly between his knees. "Afternoon when the sun lowers and the temperature is cooler?"

Again she tilted her head.

"Maria…Am I doing the right thing? Penelope waited ten years for her Odysseus."

She nodded and then made a slicing motion across her neck. If he stayed here there would be nothing but death. In his bones he knew that she was right.

"I will go with you. But please, give me a moment to myself. I need to say goodbye."

She left him. Daniel walked to the balcony and leaned over the railing. So easy to just tumble over it, to end this constant struggle called life. It had given him such joy and then had taken it away so ruthlessly. Perhaps the old Daniel had been right to… He grabbed a fistful of hair and pulled. It had been the coward's way out. And he was anything but a coward.

The door behind him opened and softly closed. His time was up. "If I love again, it will never be as I loved you," he vowed. With one last look from the high perch of his home, he turned to face Maria. And halted.

It was not Maria. He cringed against the railing, thinking the emperor had grown impatient and sent someone to collect him. Then the question arose why a servant of the emperor would be so unkempt and how in hell that person could have breached the security by himself. Only he and Rosyth had the key to…He and Rosyth…

"You cut your hair," was the first thing that came to his mind. His voice sounded strange to him, as if a stranger spoke.

The man in front of him did not reply, though he did rake his fingers through the snarled mess, dragging the locks out of his face. Those sharp cheekbones one could almost cut a finger on, that beautiful chiseled face; it was gaunt with fatigue and hardship, but still as lovely as Daniel remembered. He took a step forward and the man took a step back. His eyes were searching Daniel's face ceaselessly, a frown between his brows.

"Rosyth?" He flinched at the words as if Daniel had struck him. _Oh god_ , Daniel thought in horror. _Could he have amnesia?_ That would be a cruel trick just like Rosyth's gods. "Rosyth it is me!" He took another step nearer and spread his arms. "It is your lover, your Dan-"

"Am I really…home?" He looked around himself as if afraid his surroundings would burst like a soap bubble.

Daniel's vision grew blurry, but he was smiling so hard his face hurt. "Yes, my love. You are finally home!"

Rosyth moved towards him cautiously, looking like he feared a trap. "And you…" His voice choked on whatever the word was going to be. "You waited for me." A laugh escaped him. It sounded half mad and the only way he could stop it was by biting his hand.

"I did wait for you. Are you…disappointed?"

"No. No, I am just…" His eyes slowly went over Daniel's figure, taking in every detail. "Are you really you? Is this not a dream?"

"It is no dream! Here, touch me." Rosyth drew back, but Daniel caught one of his hands and brought it up to his cheek. He nuzzled into the warmth of it, kissed the base of his thumb. "Am I not flesh and blood?"

"Yes. Gods yes." His hand was shaking against Daniel's cheek and his knees gave out beneath him. Daniel caught him and they hit the stones together. Rosyth caught his face and held it firm as he kissed every inch of it, muttering thanks with every brush of his lips. Daniel could do no more than clutch at his shirt, holding him as close as he could without crawling into the other man's skin. "You love me? Say you do. Tell me!" Daniel's heart almost broke at the pleading in Rosyth's voice.

"I do. God help me, I love you so much and it only grew with each day of your absence." Rosyth took his mouth almost brutally and Daniel let him, leaned his head back and offered his throat up to Rosyth's lips and teeth. "I missed you so much. I felt as if I died."

A watery laugh escaped Rosyth and he buried his face in Daniel's shoulder to stop the fit of nerves. The giggles turned to sobs and Daniel rocked him, brushing Rosyth's hair and murmuring sweet endearments all the while.

He did not think it strange that Maria never came to collect him. His heart was too full of Rosyth and his return. Too exhausted to talk further, Rosyth let Daniel help him to his feet and lead him to the bedchamber. He was sprawled across it in an instant, Daniel's head fitting into the curve of his neck. "You will not leave me? You will stay until I awake?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

"The first thing you will see when you open your eyes will be me," Daniel promised. Apparently satisfied, Rosyth closed his eyes and turned his head against Daniel's hair.

Daniel could not sleep, too overcome with excitement, with joy. He contented himself by running his hands over Rosyth, getting reacquainted with the lean muscle and the angles and planes he still knew so well. His hand stilled upon Rosyth's back as he realized that there had been no blurring with the words Rosyth had spoken, no buzzing in his mind as the translation magic worked. Did that mean Rosyth had been speaking… He shook the thought away. It did not matter. Nothing mattered save his lover had returned and was once more in his arms.


	30. Chapter 30

"Darling?"

Daniel jumped. He thought for one mad moment that it was another improper dream concerning Alexander, when his bleary vision cleared and Rosyth's dear face came into focus.

"Good morning," Daniel murmured, tilting his face up for a kiss that Rosyth was all too happy to bestow. "Or evening, I should say. How was it to sleep in your own bed once more?"

"Glorious, though I would be happy sleeping in a sty as long as you were curled up against me."

Daniel jostled him with his shoulder. "Still the flatterer!"

Rosyth gave the strand of hair that had fallen across Daniel's face a tug before moving it aside. "And you are still a lovely wreck when you first awake." He frowned. "I should have waited until I had taken a bath before I slipped under the covers with you," Rosyth said as he stroked Daniel's hip.

"I did not mind, _do_ not mind. It is just nice to be in your arms again, even if you do reek." He burrowed closer to Rosyth and rested his head on the other man's bicep.

"Reek, do I?" Rosyth grinned and gave Daniel a pinch. "My arm will fall asleep if you stay there."

"It shall be your punishment for leaving me as long as you have!"

"One I will happily submit myself to after I have had my dinner and a bath." He kissed Daniel's brow and fell into silence. He sat up suddenly, dislodging Daniel from his makeshift pillow. "My love," his voice was calm, too calm. "What has happened to our servants?"

Daniel had never stopped to think what Rosyth's reaction would be to the destruction of his life's work. He took it rather well, considering. He seemed more annoyed that they would have to leave his bed and cook their own meal. When Daniel tentatively asked if he was upset, Rosyth sniffed and pulled him closer. "I would be a fool to be upset with you about anything. Not after all I've been though to get back to you." He nuzzled Daniel's temple. "Besides, it is so very _you_." Daniel wondered at the stress on the last word.

"Go and have your bath and I will go down to the kitchen and cook you up a bite to eat." Daniel made to leave the bed when Rosyth grabbed his arm, lightening fast and hard enough to make him flinch. "Love?" Rosyth's breathing was labored, his eyes wide. He took a breath and held it, released it, then slowly loosened his hold though he did not let go. He forced a smile and Daniel slowly returned it, uncertain.

"Why do we not take a bath together and then go down to the kitchens?" There was a slight tremble underlying the words and Daniel quickly guessed the cause.

"I will not disappear on you," he said softly, stroking the arm that held him and wincing at how tight the muscles in it were. "You are home now, nothing can part us anymore."

"Nothing would dare try." Daniel laughed at the snarled proclamation.

"I had forgotten how possessive you are."

"Have you forgotten you love it?"

Daniel let himself be pulled back onto the bed. "As annoying as it can sometimes be, I do love it. Come then, I will even scrub your back for you." He ran his fingers over the tangles in Rosyth's hair. Those would be work to comb out…

"You spoil me." Rosyth nipped lightly under his chin.

"I will," Daniel vowed.

After their bath-and Daniel had been right, they had almost had to cut the worst of the snarls in his hair out- Rosyth insisted on cooking for them, pressing on Daniel's shoulder until he sat and stopped his hovering. Daniel was impressed with the outcome; the food certainly did look edible. Daniel had to turn away to control himself as he saw that Rosyth was filling up bowls and plates for them to share and realized how much he had missed the custom. Eating on dishes just for oneself had become a lonely affair he had grown used to. "Stop that," Rosyth admonished, stroking his hair. "You'll set me off."

Bathing, cooking and then eating seemed to exhaust Rosyth and after the last crumb was gone he was tugging on Daniel's arm to lead him back to his chambers. Rosyth sat in one of the armchairs and Daniel promptly curled up in his lap, arms draped around his neck. "How you've missed me," Rosyth murmured before kissing his forehead. He seemed surprised and Daniel did not know whether or not to be offended. "And you have not taken very good care of yourself." His hand caressed the ladder of Daniel's ribs.

"I was heartsick. And of course I missed you, you dolt! Did you not miss me?"

"Every breath I took without you near was agony." Something in the tone of his voice said that this was not mere hyperbole. "How long was I gone?"

The question took Daniel by surprise. Perhaps it was hard to count the passing of years when one was running after…Oh, dear. If Rosyth were here that must mean that Hy'vel was…Poor, poor man. "Three years. A few months past three years, actually."

"Only three?" Rosyth's voice was shocked. "Being apart from you seemed a small eternity," he recovered quickly.

"Did you find…?"

"Yes. That actually turned out to be the least of my troubles. Let us not talk of that. How have you occupied yourself?"

"I wrote a book!" Daniel lunged across him and snatched up the volume he had thrown on the table the day prior.

Rosyth flipped through it and made appreciative noises, pausing to rub a thumb down one of the illustrations Daniel had drawn. "It looks marvelous. Franmarrow helped with the translation I take it. I will have to thank him later." He held up the book. "And I will give this my proper attention when I am not so bloody tired." He carefully laid it back on the table and gave Daniel a rough hug that made him laugh, surprised and delighted. "You would not object to taking a nap with me, would you love?" He cupped Daniel's cheek, his thumb stroking underneath Daniel's chin.

"Never." Daniel grinned.

Rosyth's face grew sad. "I had forgotten how you smiled. When I was…away, I could not recall it, no matter how hard I tried."

"I am sure you will find a way to make me smile every day."

When they parted from the kiss, something flickered in Rosyth's eyes. "A question has been preying on my mind since I first arrived here," he began slow and tentative.

"You may ask me anything." Though if Rosyth asked if he had been faithful, Daniel was going to hit him. Hard.

"Before I came home, were you planning on traveling?"

Daniel remembered his and Maria's luggage piled up in his rooms. Of course that would be the first place Rosyth would have gone to look for him. "I am afraid you caught me right as I was about to flee."

The arms around him tightened. "Flee, you say?"

Daniel quickly explained the missives from the emperor and Ke'thrala and Franmarrow's help in giving him enough time to prepare his flight. Rosyth's face gave none of his thoughts away; it unnerved Daniel. "Brave little fool," he finally said, fingers kneading the small of Daniel's back. "Did you not think that the emperor would know you would try to escape and that he would relish the chance to hunt you down? If he didn't have grounds enough to execute you, that would do it."

The blood drained from Daniel's face. "If it was so bloody obvious then why did Ke'thrala-"

"Perhaps she was willing to take the chance that you _would_ be able to escape, the lovely idiot. I owe them a lot more than thanks for giving you something to occupy yourself. If you had escaped, even if you had been captured in the end, they would have both been executed for speaking for you in the first place." Rosyth tilted his head to the side, a small smile that was almost admiring graced his lips. "I wonder if that was the emperor's intentions from the beginning? Ke'thrala has been a question to him and thus a thorn in his side for far too long, but she is well liked and prominent in the guard. If he could have an excuse though… And aiding someone not even of the Kin to escape his 'hospitality'… Yes, that would have done nicely."

"Rosyth!"

"Still my naïve, unthinking little mouse." Daniel was in no mood for the fond smile Rosyth was giving him nor the belittling endearments.

"I am not a little anything. Why does everyone apply that word to me?"

"Oh, have others come to woo you while I was gone?" His tone was trying to be teasing, but the sharpness underneath it was undeniable.

Daniel gave him a shove. "Of course not! It was Bel'rok and her son who decided to give me that annoying appellation, 'little bird' they call me now. Because they think I…" Daniel made a vague, fluttery gesture that had Rosyth laughing.

"I understand. And I do not doubt that you were faithful to me, I can see it in how you look at me." His hand drifted to Daniel's thigh and ran slowly up and down it.

"What are we to do for Franmarrow and Ke'thrala? Are they in danger still and…Rosyth! Do we still have to flee?"

"No, I've enough of running for my lifetime and I know you can say the same. I shall inform the emperor of my triumphant return and settle all this business to rest at long last."

"And that will be enough?" Daniel ill concealed his doubt. The hand on his leg clenched.

"Of course. After all I have done in service for that bastard, he cannot help but give me my peace now. Everyone knows I am too much his faithful dog and if he were to kill me now it would go poorly for him, especially after that small rebellion Hy'vel tried to stir up. Even vile despots have to show that they reward loyalty."

Daniel could not return his smile or his faith. "But you are still weary from your journey. Perhaps it should wait until the morrow."

"When it comes to him and men like him it is better to settle things at once. You do not want to give them any more time to scheme. Once they have their heart decided upon something vile, it is hard to veer their course."

"I am pretty sure his course is well set," Daniel replied grimly.

Rosyth tugged on a strand on his hair. "We shall have to see. We do have surprise on our side. He never expected me to come home, after all."

Daniel sighed. "Very well. Whatever you think best. I will just slip off to the bedroom to await-"

"You are not to leave my sight." The steel in his voice brought Daniel up short.

"But-" Rosyth had always either excused himself or asked for privacy when he contacted the emperor. Daniel was confused, but regained himself fast. "Very well," he said again and let Rosyth settle him back in his lap.

There was the curious sensation of Rosyth's mind wrapping around his own and Daniel wondered at it. Rosyth had brushed his thoughts against his own before and it had been…disturbing, but not entirely unpleasant. This felt almost intrusive. Daniel opened his mouth to ask why Rosyth was contacting _him_ instead of the emperor when there was a pull and the world went out. It was much akin to falling asleep or unconscious, except he was horribly still aware and trapped in the darkness of his own mind.

"Steady," Rosyth murmured close to his ear. Daniel turned his head, and then looked down at himself, holding out his hands. He had expected to not have a form or for it to be transparent, he certainly did feel like an apparition, but he looked as solid as he was outside of his mind. He looked back at Rosyth and frowned. There was something off about Rosyth's projection of himself; he looked the slightest bit older, his features the tiniest bit blurred.

Daniel's stomach jolted as he realized what was about to occur. "I did not want to go along with you! I have no wish to see that-"

Rosyth pinched him and Daniel jerked, surprised that the flesh he had in this ghostly mental world even had sensation. "Have a care he approaches."

"But why would you make me come here?"

"Because this concerns you as well. My liege." The mental figure of Rosyth bowed low to the form that materialized from the ether. Daniel was incapable of any reaction, frozen in place by the spectacle before him.

The mental image of the emperor was a chaotic swirl of images. At first it seemed to have the ghostly resemblance to the man Daniel had first met at the palace and then it faded into a being out of nightmares, impossibly tall with repellant features and a repulsive leer in place of the charming half-smile. Then that image would cloud over to be replaced with the previous and back and forth. Daniel wondered if that was how the emperor saw himself but quickly discounted that idea. No one would think of themselves as such, especially no one as prideful as the emperor. No, Daniel had the harrowing feeling that he was looking into the man's very soul, the essence of his being. And it was abhorrent.

"My love." Rosyth's voice made him jump and he realized that the emperor must have addressed him for there was an expectant smile on his face, on both of his faces.

"My lord." Daniel forced himself to bow. "I regret to inform you that I will not be taking you up on your gracious invitation."

He could almost feel Rosyth's eyebrow lift at his cheekiness and he felt another pinch to his side. The emperor laughed though, almost sounding delighted. "Yes, I can see that you won't be. A pity." Yellow eyes that were at turns beautiful and demonic flicked to Rosyth and ran over his form. "So you have come to me victorious then?"

"My cousin is dead."

"You took your time."

"I did not know that there was a time limit." Rosyth took Daniel's hand. "I can see that I was wrong."

"And was your cousin so canny that he could hide from you for three long years? I thought that living in the courts as my pet would have spoiled him."

"He grew up in the Waste the same as I. He had his tricks, but then so did I." Rosyth clucked his tongue. "Mine proved to be the more wily."

"How did he die?" The emperor's voice was eager, expectant. It made Daniel queasy.

Rosyth's hold tightened on his. "It was not elegant. We…struggled. There was a knife….and then a rock." The grip on Daniel's hand was painful now and there was the slightest of tremors in it. Daniel squeezed back.

The emperor snorted, disappointed that the death had not been more ghastly. His eyes darted to Daniel and a slow grin transformed his features into something that would make a gargoyle proud. The look he shot at Rosyth was smug. "I almost had your mate."

"And now you never shall. I have come home."

The emperor twirled a strand of long white hair around his finger. "I am not used to being denied what I want."

Rosyth spoke through his teeth. "I did your bidding, I have earned my prize."

His head cocked to the side and he narrowed his eyes as he studied the set of Rosyth's face. He smiled again. "You have proven loyal beyond any doubt of mine, kinslayer." He laughed, gleeful as a child, when Rosyth flinched at the title. He made a magnanimous gesture. "Go. Bed your pretty little toy until he bleeds and strut about your empty little kingdom. I shall leave you alone for the nonce. Anyone who would sink to such depths on my account would never have the virtue to rebel."

"Come, Rosyth. Let us go." Daniel quickly stepped between the two men and placed both of his hands on Rosyth's shoulders. "We have won, let us go."

"I don't think there were any winners," Rosyth said softly. He let himself be pushed back a step and then another.

Daniel froze as he felt a taloned hand rake through his hair. "I really am disappointed." Knowing better, still he turned around to face his lover's lord. "You would have screamed so prettily when your bones broke on my rack." Not being able to help himself, Daniel reeled back and into Rosyth's arms. The lust that flitted over that ghoulish face was undeniable and unavoidable; they really could not help themselves at the slightest sign of weakness.

"My lord, thank you." Rosyth's arms were around his waist and were holding him so tightly he could scarcely breathe. The emperor dismissed them with a negligent wave of his hand, but he was already starting to fade.

As soon as the room was back around them and the world in its proper place, Daniel lunged over the side of the sofa and retched.

"Why did you do that to me? That was beastly." He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"It was selfish of me." Rosyth did not sound at all contrite, though he did soothing rub Daniel between his shoulder blades. "But I needed the support, my love."

"Needed the distraction more like!" Daniel sat up, annoyed that he was still in Rosyth's lap.

Rosyth laughed. "Not even a day home and you are bickering with me already."

Daniel winced. He remembered his regret at all the small arguments they had had. How quickly he could forget his contritions in the face of his temper.

"Stop that," Rosyth scolded. "I've missed your upbraiding. Especially that shrill little trill your voice can attain when-"

"You stop it!" Daniel smacked him on the shoulder and then wrapped his arms around him, holding him as tight as he could, breathing in the scent of him. "I did miss you."

"And you have no idea how much I missed you."

Daniel pulled back immediately noticing the hollows under Rosyth's eyes and his unaccustomed pallor.

Rosyth took his hand and kissed the back of it. "Do you know that I had forgotten such things as the emperor existed? I was so focused on finding my way back to you that how I had left you slipped my mind. Can you imagine?"

"I cannot imagine how you could let that fiend 'slip your mind'. He is still going to haunt my nightmares."

"Do not give him even that courtesy. He is gone now; his role in our tale is finished." Rosyth kissed his knuckles, the back of his hand, his wrist.

 _Until he can think of another horrid little game to immerse us in for his pleasure_ , Daniel thought grimly but did not say out loud, not wishing to spoil Rosyth's mood.

"Can you sleep?" Rosyth's breath fluttered over the tender flesh of his forearm and Daniel almost gasped.

Daniel shook his head. "It does not matter. I will be content just to lie with you." Rosyth looked properly done in, still not recovered from his journey and with the added strain of his audience with the emperor. Daniel feared if he did not tuck his lover into bed soon, the man would fall asleep where he was.

"Then shall we?" Rosyth helped him stand, and then led him to the door; one hand under his arm to steady him or just for the sheer pleasure of touching him again, Daniel did not know or care. Rosyth paused in the doorway as if something had occurred to him. "Dear heart, did you really intend to strike out on your own through the Waste, evading the emperor's wrath?"

Daniel opened his mouth to reply when there was a sharp twinge in his mind. He swallowed and tried again. "Yes, of course. I had no other option." He began to squirm under Rosyth's speculative gaze. "I was planning to meet up with Bel'rok's caravan, so I would only have been alone for a few days." He shuddered as he thought of what would have become of that cheery little band of traders if the emperor had caught them harboring him.

"Truly? What of that servant that was so enamored of you?"

Again that warning mental pinch. "I told you. All the servants were given their final rest, even my dear Maria. I could not in good conscious…" His eyes dropped to the floor. Rosyth drummed his fingertips against the door.

"So she is dead then?" There was no emotion in his words save for a slight curiosity.

"Was she not dead to begin with?" Daniel lifted his eyes and hoped the challenge in them was not too easily read. It was Rosyth's turn to drop his gaze.

"It must have been unbearably lonely for you here."

"I had my hope to keep me going." He brushed a lock of Rosyth's hair behind his ear, earning him a small smile.

"As I had mine. Powerful thing, hope." He looked lost for a moment and then shook himself, leading Daniel to their bed.

* * *

Rosyth's quiet breathing stirred his hair; it should have been enough to lure him into a doze, but he stayed stubbornly awake and staring up at the ceiling. He wondered what emotions had been conjured with the news of Maria's true death and why Maria had not wanted her brother to know she lived yet. He remembered her servitude and how she had slowly began to show her true personality, her independence. Did she fear that her brother would cast her back into that meek role? A memory of a syringe of foul looking liquid arose in his mind's eye and he shuddered. She had her reasons and he found he could not blame her for them. What would become of her now? Would she stay in the castle, hidden, or would she continue on with their plan and leave alone? Feeling as if he had betrayed her in some way, Daniel turned to tuck himself against Rosyth, trying to banish the uneasiness from his mind.

Finally giving up on sleep, he slipped from Rosyth's arms and padded to the receiving room. He almost expected to see Maria without, waiting for him as she often did when his thoughts turned to her. It was empty. Sighing, he navigated his way around the furniture until his questing fingers brushed against the door. With vague thoughts of hunting her down and inquiring of her plans for the future, he pushed against the door. It did not give an inch. Locked? Daniel tried the door handle and then stared down at it dumbly. Rosyth had locked him in? Or perhaps it was a case of locking things out. He gave the door a thump with his fist, and then made his careful way to the balcony.

The moon was near full. It would have been perfect to travel under. If Maria was to leave on her own he could not have wished her better conditions than this clear, balmy night.

He reached out for her with his mind and was surprised when she grasped him back. Before he could formulate a question, she had one of her own: Hy'vel's face filled his mind.

"Oh, Maria," he sighed. "He is dead."

There was a horrid, stifling blankness and then a shrill note of grief that made his very teeth ache. Another question, this time Rosyth's face floated up from the darkness.

"You know the answer to that."

The link cut off, but not before he felt the emotions that Maria had flung in his face, a turmoil of guilt and sadness and anger with the overall tone of 'Are you happy now?'

Daniel was and now he was ashamed of it. He had wanted Rosyth home, had wanted it at any price. He had known that the price would be Hy'vel's blood and not once had it occurred to him to stop and think of how it would affect Maria. All those times he had sighed for Rosyth and prayed for his safety in front of her…and all she must have heard was a wish for her cousin's death.

"What a horrible friend I am." He pinched the bridge of his nose. But what could he have done? The opposite outcome was just as repugnant. To never see Rosyth again, to never hold him, to never make love…

A knife…and then a rock. And the result was one of the cousins buried in a world so far removed from this one it might as well be lost, with no one to mourn over the grave, to remember who lied beneath. Hy'vel had been flawed, to be sure, but Daniel felt he had truly cared for both himself and Maria. Daniel had not the coldness in him to be unmoved by the death of someone who had once confessed to love him. Tears pricked Daniel's eyes and he clutched the balcony, breathing in the night air deeply. It would not do to wake Rosyth…

A hand on his arm whirled him around. It seemed Rosyth was already awake.

"I woke alone." His voice was steady though his face was thunderous. Daniel felt himself cower and forced himself to stop.

"I am sorry. I came out to…to think. I thought you would not miss me."

"Do you have any idea what I felt to wake and find you gone, your side of the bed cold? Do you?" He seized Daniel and gave him a shake. Daniel grabbed his forearms, shocked at the manhandling.

"I said I was sorry!" For one moment he thought Rosyth would slap him. Then the lines of anger smoothed and the hold on him relaxed.

"Don't do that again. Don't leave me."

"I will not. I truly am sorry. I would never willingly hurt you." Daniel cupped his cheek and sighed in relief when Rosyth closed his eyes and leaned into his touch.

"Do not mourn him," he said softly against Daniel's palm.

Daniel gave a guilty start. "What?" Was all he could stupidly think to say.

Rosyth's amber eyes opened and the emotion in them was anguished. "If you have any love for me, do not mourn that man."

"Oh, Rosyth." Daniel was at a loss as to what to say, but a response on his part did not seem to be desired. Rosyth sunk to his knees and pressed his face against Daniel's stomach.

_If you love me…_

Daniel stroked the hair that was now almost short, alarmed that Rosyth was shaking. Kinslayer, the emperor had dubbed him and Rosyth had flinched at it. Hy'vel was dead, Rosyth his murder, and Daniel… "I do love you," he said. "I will always love you."

Rosyth gasped at it, held him tighter and Daniel thought he was almost surprised at the admission. What had happened during those long years, Daniel wondered never stopping his soothing pets, that would make Rosyth ever doubt that Daniel would love him?

* * *

Feeling mischievous upon waking, Daniel rose himself up upon one elbow and kissed a line starting from Rosyth's collarbone and down his chest. Rosyth's breath caught. "Your hair is tickling me."

"Is it?" Daniel said pausing above Rosyth's hipbone. "Then I shall stop." So saying he threw himself back onto his pillows, laughing with joy as Rosyth gave a mock growl and rolled over on top of him. The shorter hair did make it easier to comb his fingers through, but Daniel did hope that Rosyth would grow it longer once again. He ran a hand down Rosyth's spine, grinning as the man's body relaxed at once and pressed Daniel further into the mattress.

"I remember what you like."

"I would very much like to test that," Rosyth said, kissing Daniel's nose, his chin, and then settling in to nibble at his neck. Daniel squirmed, fingers digging into Rosyth's shoulders.

"I see you remember what I like."

"I thought about it constantly. How I used to please you, how you would please me." His kisses trailed lower, mirroring how Daniel had stirred him earlier. "Tell me one more time, my love. Tell me you love me."

"I love you," Daniel moaned, arching up to him. He repeated the three words as one would a litany. Rosyth smiled against his thigh, his fingers sliding up over Daniel's hip and under the shirt he had worn to bed... And then he threw himself back with a cry.

"Rosyth? What is it?"

Rosyth sat back on his heels staring down in horror at Daniel's exposed flesh, at the mass of scar tissue that he still bore.

"Oh." Daniel tugged down his shirt. "Did you forget about it?" He tried to make it come out a jest, but Rosyth seemed to be beyond hearing.

Rosyth turned his gaze to his own hands; hands that Daniel was disturbed to see were shaking. "What have I done?"

 _Nothing yet_ , Daniel thought with a degree of petulance. "Rosyth come back and lie with me." Rosyth flinched away at his gentle touch and scrambled gracelessly off the bed to stumble to the bathing room. The door slammed and Daniel swore he heard Rosyth retching. He hovered, undecided whether he should stay put and afford a measure of privacy or go and comfort him.

The answer was made for him when he tried the door and found it locked.

Rosyth came back to bed after Daniel was almost asleep. He muttered an apology into Daniel's hair and pulled Daniel firmly against him. "It is all right," Daniel lied. He felt wretched for it, but he could not help the pang of offense he felt.

"Perhaps we could try again…"

"We do not have to. It can wait."

The sigh of relief hurt his heart.

* * *

"Shall we move to the quarters by the gardens?" Daniel asked leaning down to run his hands through Rosyth's hair.

"Why should we do that? We are comfortable enough here."

"Why? Why, because the weather will stay nice for a few more months and we should enjoy it for a little while longer. Do you not miss sleeping with the breeze coming in bearing the scent of flowers?"

Rosyth closed the book he had been staring at unseeing with a snap. "No."

"Rosyth, you cannot leave it at that," Daniel sighed. He slipped onto the sofa beside Rosyth and forced the other man to put an arm around him. "Why are my chambers unsuitable?"

"Why are mine?"

"Rosyth." There was a warning in Daniel's voice and he laid his hand over Rosyth's heart. "Tell me."

Rosyth squirmed, uncomfortable. "You wander."

"I what?"

"When we are in your chambers, you… I have often woken to find you were taken by the desire to have a walk in those damned-"

"You are afraid you will wake up alone again?" Daniel tried not to become irritated.

"And do not promise that you won't. You can't help yourself, you are just too restless."

"For God's sake, Rosyth. You will have to let me out of your sight eventually."

"Are you sure about that?" It was said so softly that Daniel almost missed it.

"Is this really an issue of trust, then?" He raised his voice slightly and stood up, whirling to face Rosyth. "I have waited here for you for three years, three years, not knowing if you would ever come home to me. I have proven my faithfulness a hundred times over and you have the gall to imply that I would-"

"Do not get on your high horse with me." Rosyth's voice remained low, but there was a dangerous edge to it. "You realize that three years is laughable to what I have faced for you, what I have done for you."

Daniel laughed. "Well, you will not tell me what you went through for me, will you? I am sure that it was perfectly awful, but how am I supposed to help you-"

"As if I would need your help!"

"I went through hell for you, Rosyth!"

Rosyth sprang to his feet, his face inches from Daniel's. "You have no idea what hell is."

Daniel blinked. "Do I not?" He thought of his scars, the old wounds he had brought with him from his own world.

Apparently Rosyth was remembering them as well for his eyes fell to where Daniel's clothes hid them and jerked back as if slapped, his expression aghast. "Gods, I am sorry, I…" He covered his face with his hands. "I have spent so long being angry at everything that I no longer know how to live in peace. I did not mean to take it out on you." He reached for Daniel, but was eluded.

"I am going to the garden." He took three steps towards the door when he realized that Rosyth was following him. He sighed and turned back around. "You are going to stay here." At Rosyth's bereft expression, he relented. "You will stay here and count to one hundred and then you may follow me. Perhaps it would be best if we start small."

"You are treating me as if I were a clinging child."

"I am treating you as a man recovering from trauma. You did the same for me when first I came." The guarded expression that closed over Rosyth's face took him aback. "You do remember that surely?" He would not admit it, but he still feared that Rosyth had suffered some memory damage. There was the incident with his scars for one.

"I do." His voice was tight, like a coiled spring. "I remember."He looked down at his hands, his fingers rubbing where a wedding band used to be. "You were so broken. You bled on me." His voice caught.

"And I am sure I did my fair share of vomiting on you as well. You saw me through that, I will see you through this, whatever it may be."

"I am not as bad off as you were." A faint expression was beginning to show through his mask, an uneasiness almost akin to guilt.

"None of that. Count to one hundred and then find me and give me a kiss. Bravery deserves reward." He dropped a wink and left. As soon as the door was closed he heard Rosyth begin to count in a shaking voice.

* * *

The orchids had been neglected of late. Maria was no longer around to care for them and Daniel had not been able to pry himself away from Rosyth to see to them. He tsked as he pulled out a weed, and then corrected the curl of a tendril so it would receive more sun.

"I tried to grow them. Where I was." Despite knowing that Rosyth was only a hundred count behind him, his voice still startled Daniel.

"Why would you try to do that? I would not imagine you would be in any place long enough to grow a garden." There was the faintest of accusations in his voice.

"I wouldn't have stayed if it had been my own volition, I swear to you that." He frowned and cradled one of the fragile blossoms in his hand. "And they reminded me of home, of you. You have no idea how desperately I needed that." His hand trembled and he hurriedly tucked it behind his back.

"I had no idea this species grew anywhere but on this world." Something was trying to stir in Daniel's mind, but he pushed it back down.

"They don't. I had to…" He made a fiddling gesture. "It became a hobby for me, trying to create them." He poked one of the flowers. "I got damn close."

"Thank you."

"Whatever for?" He looked at Daniel, surprised.

"For wanting something that reminded you of me. For thinking of me when you were so far. I do not know." He shrugged, suddenly embarrassed.

"They did not hold a candle to these."

"But you made them for me. If I had seen them I would have loved them." His memory stirred again and with it a strange sense that he had seen them, had loved them. But that was impossible…

Rosyth looked close to tears. "I…" He shook his head. "I shouldn't have come back. When I realized…"

"Oh, stop being silly!" Daniel rose to his feet and brushed off his trousers before moving to embrace Rosyth. "I know what you have done," Rosyth's breath stopped, "and I accept it and forgive it even. You were made to and it was beastly, but…I love you. And if you had not… It would have been unbearable to lose you." He looked away. "Besides, I have done the equal of your sin, if not outdone it."

Rosyth roughly turned his face back to him. "You have never done anything wrong. Not you. Whatever blood you think is on your hands is the fault of other men; it is not yours to wear." The firmness and conviction in Rosyth's voice made Daniel lift an eyebrow. Rosyth flushed.

"Always my staunchest supporter," Daniel said at last, rising on tiptoe to brush his nose against Rosyth's. "Let it be the same for you then. Assign the guilt of the blood on your hands to the man who made you shed it."

"That is almost sedition." Rosyth said it with a smile.

Daniel returned it. "I have not been in the most patriotic mood since you were sent away." He kissed Rosyth, making it slow and languorous. Rosyth responded to it, hands falling to Daniel's waist, pressing their bodies together. Just as Daniel was about to wrap his arms around Rosyth, to try to draw him down, Rosyth pulled away. He gave a mental sigh in frustration.

"Don't," he whispered against Rosyth's lips, holding the man when he tried to step away.

"Daniel, we can't."

Daniel jerked in surprise at the use of his name, he had almost forgotten that Rosyth knew it. "Of course we can. Of course we should." Rosyth pried one of his hands off and Daniel immediately clung harder with the other, trailing the free one down Rosyth's chest. Rosyth grabbed his wrist before it went lower than his sash.

"How can you still want me?" His voice was ragged, torn. He wanted this as much as Daniel. Perhaps it was just his guilt that was stopping him from partaking of what Daniel had been offering since first he had come home.

"I will always want you, you silly man." Daniel let Rosyth go and the disappointment that flooded the other's face almost made him laugh. His mirth disappeared though as a thought occurred to him. He bit his lip and cast his eyes to the ground. "Do you not want me anymore?" He had heard of it before, couples living estranged and then when they once again met could not get over the strangeness of the other.

"I will always want you," Rosyth repeated his words, breathless and pained.

"Then Rosyth, I am yours." He felt silly saying it, but from the relief in Rosyth's face it was something that had to have been said.

Daniel drifted closer and gently took hold of Rosyth's hand, pressing it against the scars in his side. Rosyth shuddered but did not pull back. "If you can take me, scars and all, you can have all of me."

"I do not deserve this," Rosyth said huskily. His hand slid under Daniel's shirt and brushed his old wound. "I do not deserve you."

"I am to be the judge of that," Daniel said against his ear, this time nothing stopped his caress from trailing down. Rosyth made a small sound, the choked off cry of a drowning man. "Shall we to my chambers, my love? They are closer." He could not keep from his teasing tone. Rosyth's sudden surge against his hand was answer enough.

* * *

It was nice to have Rosyth in what Daniel thought of was their proper bed. The moon, past full now, shone in from the garden. Rosyth was right, he could not help being restless. He wanted nothing more than to go for a small walk beneath its light to calm his thoughts, to reexamine and cherish every detail of their reunion…But he would keep his word. As if in encouragement of his decision, Rosyth pulled him closer in his sleep. Chuckling, Daniel kissed his cheek and closed his eyes.

It was on the verge of sleep, half awake and half consigned to dreams, when he remembered Rosyth's talk of orchids, of his attempts to grow them in whatever strange land he had found himself… exiled to…

The garden formed around him, but it was not his garden. There was a small greenhouse built at the end of a stone path and feet not his own walked him towards it. Daniel was held prisoner behind someone else's eyes. He railed against his cage. He did not want to see what was at the end of the path, what the greenhouse held, though part of him already knew, had known since the afternoon.

The door opened under his hand that was not his hand and they were inside. The former Daniel gasped. "Oh, what beautiful orchids! I have never seen their like."

"Nor will you," came the deep voice from behind them. "I…grew them special through lengthy cross-pollination experiments and other methods. They are the only kind in existence. In this world."

"I had no idea you listed botany among your many lofty talents," the voice that was not his was almost flirtatious.

There was a dry cough in answer. The former Daniel made their shoulders rise and fall in a shrug. "You really are quite the renaissance man, Alexander."

Daniel jolted upright, a scream caught in his throat. Rosyth's arms were around him, trying to coax him to lie back down. "It was a dream my love, only a dream."

Daniel prayed to any god that would listen that it was so.


	31. Chapter 31

The morning light fell full upon Rosyth's face, but still the man did not stir. Daniel brushed the silver hair aside and looked down upon the face he had loved so well. _Still_ loved so well. He traced the bridge of Rosyth's nose, went across one cheekbone. The slight wrinkles at the corners of his eyes were more pronounced, as were the ones near his mouth. Despite these small changes he really did not look any older than when he had left. Certainly no one would ever mistake him for an old-

Rosyth clasped Daniel's wrist, causing him to jump in surprise. He opened his eyes and gave Daniel a lazy smile. "Why are you hovering over me?"

"I…" Daniel flushed, not knowing what to say, ashamed he had even been thinking…what he had been thinking.

With a chuckle, Rosyth pulled on Daniel's wrist, raising his other hand to cradle the back of his head. "Do I not get a morning kiss?"

"Of course you do," Daniel said too fast. He let Rosyth draw him down. It was nice. Comforting. He tried to not compare it to how he had been kissed in his dreams.

"You're shy today," Rosyth remarked. His hands ran down Daniel's sides, pressing slightly to make him lose his balance and fall against Rosyth's chest. "Were you always this meek the mornings after?" Rosyth asked it slowly as if trying to remember. One hand stayed against the small of Daniel's back to keep him in place.

Daniel struggled. "Rosyth…" Rosyth kept him still by rolling them over until he was on top.

"Don't be modest, not with me. I cannot bear it when you try to pull away." The words immediately stilled Daniel, who peered up, amazed at the hesitancy he saw in the other man's face. Rosyth tentatively slid his palm along Daniel's side, his thumb stroking his hipbone. Daniel leaned up into the caress and relief flooded Rosyth's expression. "Are you terribly hungry or can breakfast perhaps wait?"

Trying to banish the memory-please let it have been only a dream-from last night, Daniel forced himself to smile as he told his lover that breakfast indeed could wait.

* * *

Daniel caught himself staring at Rosyth more and more. His looks were not the love-struck ones that Rosyth often cast upon him, long and lingering things that tried to drink in his image, to savor it. Daniel watched Rosyth with a degree of fearfulness, as if he worried that a stranger wearing Rosyth's guise had stolen into his home and were trying to trick him. The gestures Rosyth made were impeccable, the cant of his head when he talked, the graceful sweep of his hands, everything was how Daniel remembered it, though he did wonder if there was a degree of artifice to them, a slight exaggeration. Regardless, they were the mannerisms he remembered. The question remained though which Daniel remembered them…

He shook his head. He was mad to suspect it. Mad to think the impossible. For it to be true he would have had to have fallen, not just through worlds, but through time itself and that was… Then again, if someone had told his predecessor that it were possible to move between worlds with the help of a small piece of metal or that the dead could be reanimated Daniel was sure that that him would have scoffed. Maybe there was no such thing as impossible anymore…

It did not help matters that he no longer had any one to comfort him or to confide in. No one seemed overly pleased that Rosyth had returned. They tried to hide it, but the disappointment was there in the tight lines of Bel'rok's face and in between the words of Franmarrow's letters. If Rosyth noticed, he showed no signs of caring, too busy shadowing Daniel like a lost puppy. Daniel could not deny that it hurt him that his friends would not join in his celebration. What hurt even worse was the abandonment of Maria, though truthfully he did not know who had abandoned whom there. He sent out tendrils of thought to her every now and then, but there was never a reply from the void. Despite having Rosyth constantly under his feet, Daniel could not help feeling a certain degree of loneliness.

* * *

The day found Daniel in a foul mood. His sleep had been plagued by dreams. The little girl with the lantern had been in the majority of them, trying to lead him down dark ways he did not wish to traverse.

"Could you help me with this?" Daniel snapped, frustrated that even though Rosyth had condescended to spend time in the workroom for once he had yet to pick up a tool. After trailing behind Daniel the whole way there, he had immediately sat down once they had entered, hand in his chin, watching Daniel with an intensity that made him almost blush.

Rosyth glanced down at the bundle of mechanical components with disinterest. "You seem to be doing fine on your own."

"You could help with the cleaning at least." Daniel threw a cloth at him.

Rosyth caught it and, after giving it a haughty look, finally shrugged, turning to pick up a cog from the pile on the table. Glancing up, Rosyth noticed Daniel's open mouth and raised an eyebrow. "What?"

Daniel shook himself. "Nothing. I suppose you feel you deserve a rest after all your ordeals, hence your new found laziness." A fight would be a welcome distraction from… Daniel mimicked Rosyth's shrug and then shuddered.

"These days I feel as if I have no interest in anything save you."

It was undeniable that it did make Daniel's heart melt a little, but the romantic excuses for Rosyth's strangeness were wearing thin.

"Do you not remember how to fix it? Is that it?"

Rosyth, offended, snatched the device from Daniel's hands and picked up a screwdriver. Daniel did not even try to hide his smug smile.

He watched Rosyth at his work, bent over the machine. He did miss that long hair and the way Rosyth would wear it in a sloppy knot, his spine peeking through the tendrils as he moved. Reaching over he tucked a strand behind Rosyth's ear and smiled as it immediately fell back. "You need to grow it long again."

"Not cut it shorter?" Rosyth grinned at Daniel's moue of distaste. "If I had known you preferred it long, I would have never cut it."

"Why did you cut it? It was so lovely."

"Lovely?" There was a light of playfulness dancing in his eyes. He gave a mock sigh of regret. "It was necessary. The fashion of the times dictated it." He ran his fingers through the white strands and frowned. "I never really cared much about it one way or the other. I must confess I like it short. It's easier to manage." Laughing at Daniel's pout, he tapped him under the chin. "I'll grow it out again. For you."

"Thank you."

Rosyth returned to his work. "What do you think of servants?"

"No," was Daniel's immediate response.

Rosyth smiled. "I was not speaking of building those again. You were right. I should have never constructed them. They were an offense to nature."

"Oh." Daniel blinked; he coughed to try to hide his startlement. "And the emperor will be all right with your…retirement?"

"I can say with conviction that he no longer has the right to dictate how I choose to make my living. And I am growing tired of having to remember to build up the fires in the mornings for our meals. I would rather spend those extra moments wrapped up in your blankets."

"Living servants," Daniel stressed. "Paid ones too."

"Of course," Rosyth said. "I will never again be a party to anything that pricks your sensibilities."

Daniel harrumphed and turned back to his own tasks. A soft rustling stirred his mind, like a breeze running through tall grass. He shivered. "Why are you poking around in my head?"

"Only curious."

"Please stop. It tickles."

A minute of silence fell and then, "Daniel."

"What?"

"How do I look to you?"

That made Daniel look up and turn back to him, concern overtaking annoyance. Daniel studied his face for a long moment. "You look healthier than when you returned. You still look worn though. Why? Are you not feeling well?" Daniel moved to the bench to sit beside Rosyth and placed the back of his hand against Rosyth's brow. "You do not seem feverish."

"I am fine, my love."

"Then why ask me how you look if you feel well?"

"I've caught you staring at me. I only wondered what it was you saw."

"You Rosyth. No matter how often or how long I look, it is always you that I see."

"And are you expecting to see someone else?" He did not look at Daniel, but his arm went across Daniel's shoulders and drew him close.

Daniel's swallow was audible, his hands grew cold. "I just at times cannot believe my good fortune. That you have come back to me." He twisted his ring around and around until Rosyth's hand stilled him.

"You are not trying to catch me with my mask put away?"

"You do not wear masks with me, surely? What happened to your ring?" Daniel asked suddenly, desperate to change the conversation. He grabbed Rosyth's hand and traced where the band used to lie.

"I lost it."

"How?"

"I could not take it with me at one point. Let us just leave it at that."

Daniel remembered long, withered fingers running along a line of bottles before selecting the one needed. Had there been a flash of metal from that hand? No, these were not his memories, he remembered nothing! Daniel clutched his head and leaned down until his forehead touched his knees. "Why do you not just tell me plainly what happened? I know how it ends: in Hy'vel's death. How can it get anymore ghastly? Stop keeping secrets from me!"

"Aren't you keeping them from me? Haven't you been keeping them from me since we first met? You did not even tell me your name for months." Rosyth did not sound the least upset, instead he seemed almost pitying. "I know why you did it. You were afraid, of me, of your past. Perhaps if you had only confided in me-"

"I could not!" Daniel sat up, dislodging Rosyth's hands on his shoulders. "I could not stand it if you looked at me as if I were a…a… I wanted your esteem so greatly, your affection."

Rosyth forced Daniel to look at him. "As did I. You can. Tell me anything, I mean. I promise not to run." He tried to smile but it was a flat, lifeless thing.

"And am I to be your confessor in turn?"

"Only if you would promise to pardon my sins after you heard them." Daniel flinched at the searching look Rosyth gave him.

It was on the tip of his tongue to say the name Brennenburg, to tell Rosyth of all the vile deeds a man who once bore his face had performed and then laid the guilt of at his feet. He could not make the words come forth though, for there was a fear that at the end of that horrid tale Rosyth would quietly say, "I know."

"Darling," Rosyth lightly took his hands once more. "We cannot keep on like this. You are, at your heart, an honest man. A man who is frank with his thoughts and his emotions, which is a novelty in this world, and you will not be at ease unless we-"

Daniel rose to his feet, unclasping his hands from Rosyth's. "Are you hungry? Why not finish working on that while I fix us a spot of lunch?"

Rosyth sighed. "I'll go with-"

"No!" Daniel said, alarmed. "Please, continue with your work. I need to clear my head."

"Daniel-"

"Do not call me that!" Daniel threw his hands over his ears. "You never used to call me that! Why are you starting now?"

"Dan- Darling, it is your name."

"But you hated it, I hate it!"

"Come sit down by me, let's talk-"

"I have had enough of talking and enough of your staring and enough of your Daniels! I am going to the kitchens. Please just let me go!"

Rosyth held out his hand, gesturing at Daniel. "I think I have proven that that is the one thing I cannot do."

Daniel took in a sharp breath and then fled.

He ran, not knowing where he was going. Just away, he needed to be away, but away from what he would not let himself realize. He passed a staircase and suddenly the image of a shrouded Maria handing him a flower flashed through his mind. That was right, this was the very staircase he had chased her to so many years ago before he had seen her true face. He ascended it on impulse, again sending out for her, desperate, but once again was met with silence. The stairs led to a door that opened easily at Daniel's touch. The room before him was spartan, a lone bed with clean sheets and a dresser with a scattering of grooming implements that had not been touched in ages. The contrast between the bed and the dust was puzzling. Daniel ran a finger through it, circling around a hairbrush. Maria had no hair, not any longer, but perhaps she still had need for sleep. Was this her room then?

Looking around himself with more care, he crossed to the one window. No curtains adorned it, but there was a vase on the windowsill bearing the withered remains of his orchids. Of course he was not the only one to have loved them. Had he not always come across his friend as she was tending them? One slight touch and the petals scattered into dust. The view out of the window was breathtaking. No other part of the castle impeded the view of the desert.

Another image came up in his mind's eye: a section of the far wall moving aside revealing a small space behind.

"Maria?" Daniel cried, spinning around. He was alone. He huffed, annoyed at her reluctance to 'speak' to him. A brush against his mind, an image of Rosyth and the feel of a warning and then it was gone leaving Daniel to wonder if he had imagined it. "Why does he inspire such fear in you, dear one?" he muttered. None the less, curiosity got the better of him and he walked over to the wall she had indicated.

Staring at it provided him no hint that a secret lay behind it, the black, smooth material seemed seamless. Hesitantly Daniel extended his hand and brushed his fingertips across it. There was a fearsome grating sound as the secret mechanisms that worked the windows and doors of their castle sprung to life, slowly revealing the hollow of his vision. Judging by the rusty sounds it was emitting, this shelf had not been used for a very long time.

A collection of brick-a-brack was revealed such as what was accumulated through the years by any young person, fond mementos that only had meaning for the person that had stored them. Daniel lifted up a battered doll made out of bits and pieces of fabric. Someone had lovingly made this for his Maria. He thought of the frail, fearful woman in the family portrait and confessed to himself that he could not imagine Rosyth and Maria's mother making it. Trying to picture Maria as a girl loving this toy, taking it to bed with her and cuddling it left him with such a sadness he had to put the doll from him or else risk a broken heart.

The clutter gave up nothing of value and only proved to make Daniel's mood even more low. It was easy to forget that Maria had not always been the silent specter that haunted these halls at her brother's biding. She had been a person once upon a time, a child that grew into a young woman who was then cut down in her prime. Almost giving up on his scavenging, his fingers brushed against a smooth surface and then the bumpy texture of paint. Pulling out the small painting, he glanced down at it and froze.

Three people were immortalized on the canvas with an attention to detail that was so lifelike it took Daniel's breath away. Daniel would recognize the face of his beloved no matter what his age and the expression on his teenage face teased a smile out. The full effect of his scowl had not lessened with the years. He was sat rigidly in a chair, his spine ruler straight and head held up in a haughty angle. A young woman, a hand on his shoulder as if to keep him in place, was looking down at him with an indulgent half-smile. Daniel guessed who she must be and it sickened him that this lovely young woman with her long hair cascading down her back and her sensible clothing was no longer evident in his friend. The creature in the picture was lost to the world forever and Maria truly was nothing more than her ghost. Beside the two siblings was a young man and it took Daniel a moment to place him. It was Hy'vel. Daniel marveled at what years in the emperor's service must have done to him for none of the mocking self-loathing was in evidence in that face. His mouth was painted to hint that he had been caught laughing and his eyes were on Maria, the adoration in them making Daniel swallow around a sudden lump in his throat.

"What has grabbed your attention so?"

Daniel jumped, looking up guiltily into the eyes of Rosyth who leaned against the doorway, arms crossed. "Something I found. Of your sister's," he added, curious to see how Rosyth reacted.

Rosyth's eyebrow quirked upwards. "My sister?"

"Yes, Maria." Daniel held out the painting for Rosyth to take.

With a slow, even pace Rosyth crossed the room and took the painting. "I never give you enough credit for how clever you are. When did you guess who she was?"

"Before you left. Those in your family share a strong resemblance." He ran his finger along his cheekbone.

Rosyth mirrored the gesture, then threw the painting on the bed besides the doll. "Come down to the kitchens. I'll make you some lunch."

"I am not that hungry anymore."

Rosyth sighed.

"Why did you do it? Why did you do that to your own sister?"

Rosyth's shoulders twitched. "I had my reasons."

"I thought you wanted to confess to me."

"I remember being made to sit for that. Mother insisted." He gestured at the picture. "I am surprised that she kept it all these years."

Daniel picked up the painting. He could not look away from the laughing faces of the cousins. "When did you have it done?" Rosyth was watching his face and the slight frown on his expression as he watched made Daniel feel as if he had failed some sort of test.

"When we first went to the capital. She to enter the army, I to study under the royal machinists." He shrugged. "I didn't study under them for long. I grew bored and began my own broader studies which were much more fruitful." He held a hand out, whether to take the picture back or to take Daniel's hand, Daniel did not know.

Daniel took a step backward until his legs hit the bed.

"Why do you shrink from me?" Rosyth raised his hand as if to reach out for Daniel, but then lowered it.

"I do not, it is your imagination. Hy'vel lived there already?"

"Yes. His father was tasked with putting the two of us up."

"You were close to her."

Something twisted in Rosyth's face, it might have been a smile. "I would not know if I would call it that."

"Were you angry when she…did what she did?"

"You mean bring down the wrath of the emperor upon us all? I was." Daniel took a seat on the bed and after a moment of hesitation, Rosyth took a seat beside him. "Then I was thankful, oddly enough."

"Thankful!" Daniel could not keep the amazement out of his voice.

"I would not expect you to begin to understand. Not you." He took one of Daniel's hands and rubbed the back of it with his thumb. "Your hand is cold."

"I…am not feeling very well today."

"And it's my fault." He kissed the back of it, eyes never leaving Daniel's face.

"I need to lie down." Daniel tried to stand, but Rosyth tugged him back down onto the bed.

"Tell me what is on your mind. Whatever it is." His voice was a command and Daniel shivered at it.

"I do not know even where to start. It is all…mad. I must be mad to even be…" He shook his head and jumped when Rosyth held his face still.

"Darling, don't cry."

"I am not." But the tears Rosyth was wiping away proved him a liar. "I mean, I did not realize I was…" Daniel tried to hide his face against Rosyth's shoulder, but he was pushed back, held still.

"Have I failed you in some way?"

"No! Why would you even think-"

"I must have done something!" Rosyth snapped. "Something wrong, something strange to make you so uneasy with me. This is not how you were before."

Daniel looked at him through his tears and clucked his tongue. "It is not something I could put into words."

Rosyth's fingers dug into his cheeks and then released him. "I am an idiot." He threw himself back against the mattress and folded his arms over his face. It took Daniel a moment to realize he was laughing.

Daniel lay down next to him and rested a trembling hand on his chest. "Rosyth, tell me a story."

"It is not a story you wish to hear, my love." He pressed the heels of his hands against his eyes.

"Anything you have to say, I will…" Daniel could not go on. It was a lie; he did not want to know it. Did not want to have to hear from Rosyth's own lips that which could not be possible.

"Is this to be a story or a confession? Remember I said I would only tell the latter if I had your word you would forgive me." Rosyth turned over to his side and touched Daniel lightly on his cheek. "Do I have your word?"

"I do not know," Daniel whispered. He then threw himself out of the bed and wrapped his arms around himself. "No! You do not have it! How could I… How could you be… You cannot! That is the only answer that will do, you cannot be, you are not!"

"Daniel." So careful that voice, the tone one uses when addressing easily spooked horses or mad people. Daniel had to laugh at it and realized it made him seem more insane.

"I am sorry. I am unwell. I did not sleep well and it has made me strange today."

"You are not unwell and you are not mad!" Rosyth grasped Daniel by his arms and shook him. "You are not a stupid man, Daniel. I know you; I've known you since your beginning." Rosyth's eyes were filled with pleading. Daniel almost hated him for it. "And you are a good man, we cannot live like this, with this between us. You are not the sort to lie to yourself. It is one of the reasons I fell in love with you." Again that strange stress on you; it made Daniel shake. Him. Rosyth had fallen in love with him and not…

"Let me go. You are wrong. I can live quite happily-"

"Daniel."

"Do not call me that," he said, broken and pitiful. "Quit calling me that. He is dead! That man died in Brennenburg!"

"I know."

He stopped his struggles and stared up at Rosyth through the tangles of his hair. He could see it now. God help him, he could imagine that face, not much older than his own, lined and creased with years of worry and hardship. He could see that face and see his beloved in it. "Alexander?"

Such a grim smile on Rosyth's lips as he accepted all his sins at last.

Daniel nodded and then the room began to swirl and his legs grew weak. Rosyth catching him before he fell was his last sensation before the chill of the void claimed him.

* * *

His palm stung with the wound he had had to inflict upon himself to spill the blood needed to calm the energies that guarded Alexander's sanctum. He fancied he could hear the Shadow howling for him much too near for his comfort. Without giving himself time to draw in a breath for fear he would lose his nerve, he pushed open the doors and walked through.

It was more cave than room, the ceiling was lost to shadow. Eerie blue flames attempted to light the room, but only proved to make it seem more dark. And above it all hovered the man that Daniel was meant to destroy, the man his past self had been so in fear of he had erased himself rather than face one more time.

Alexander did not look like much, a wizened old man, naked and vulnerable, twitching at the mercy of the energies that were spinning around the three pillars bearing Orbs in the center of the room. Then those yellow, demonic eyes opened and fell on Daniel. His wrinkled mouth crept up into a smile and Daniel shuddered, dropping his lantern. Part of him remembered that smile, remembered what it had bade him do… No! Not him! He was not the one who had committed those crimes!

"I was wondering if you were going to show up," that surprisingly deep voice from such a frail form sneered at him. A strum of longing shot through Daniel's being, a left over response from the old Daniel he presumed. Daniel, revolted, tried to shove the emotion from him. Alexander continued to talk, but Daniel could not bring himself to listen to his words. He walked resolutely forward, never taking his eyes off the floating man.

"Are you so blind that you see no good in me? Or no evil in Agrippa?" he taunted as Daniel climbed the stone platform to stand before the mad baron.

"It is not my place to judge," he mumbled. He started at the sound of his own voice. It was so firm and steady, no trace of how fast his heart was beating. "But I was made to right a wrong, and right it I shall try."

"How admirable. For what reasons would you deny me my home? Redemption? The pitiful concept of lower beings."

"I do not know if there is such a thing," Daniel admitted hefting up the bag which contained Agrippa's head. "I am a dead man no matter what I do." The Shadow threw itself against the doors and both men flinched at it. "At least I can-" Another thump and the wood creaked in protest at the inhuman weight that was pressing upon it.

"At least you can what?" Daniel was surprised that Alexander seemed genuinely interested in his answer.

"I can be my own man. I can die as someone who had pride and a sense of justice and not…" He was ashamed that he could not summon up an ounce of pity for the man who had birthed him. Too many horrors had been stumbled upon in the dark, too many cries that should have been long silenced had spoken to him. And all that man's fault. That man and the one who stood before him.

"And you plan to punish me in the process. How selfish of you."

That surprised a laugh from Daniel. "Selfish?" Alexander frowned and touched down on the stones. His form was growing more steady, the blue light that had surrounded him fading. "I would think your actions more selfish, my lord. How many have died down here in this hell and for what?"

"To go home." The longing in those words made Daniel flinch. The letters contained in those curious canisters he had found throughout the castle rose to him mind unbidden. _My love, my beloved, how I long for you…_ It was not just a home that Alexander had wanted to return to. And though Daniel could not find it in himself to pity his namesake, he felt a twinge of it for the despicable creature before him.

"So for you to go home you denied it to countless others. To go back to the woman you love, you ripped husbands from their wives and children from their mothers." He said the words slowly, as if explaining it to a child who had no concept of what it had done wrong. Judging by Alexander's scowl, he was not too far off.

"Your kind has no concept of love. You have no idea what I was asked to live without." Another groan of wood as the Shadow pummeled the doors.

"She must have been a very special woman." Daniel looked away from the pain on Alexander's face, the longing on it. His resolve was shaking and he could not afford to let it. If any one of them deserved a happy ending, it was the severed head he held in his arms. There should be no hero's welcome for himself or for the baron.

The whine of the gate grew louder. Daniel tucked a strand of his hair behind his ear and frowned at the blackness that was growing between the Orbs. He glanced back at Alexander and took a step back. The expression the man was wearing…he was examining Daniel's face with an expression that was almost disquieted.

"Are you all right?"

Alexander was nonplussed by the question. In truth it was a silly query. He was about to condemn them all to death, why did he care why Alexander of a sudden looked ill?

"Is the gate opening?"

"Yes, soon. Behold, another world." He said it with such yearning and not for the first time Daniel found himself wondering about the woman who had inspired such devotion in this man. As beautiful as Helen of Troy, he would hazard.

"For what it is worth, I am sor-" He cried out as Alexander tackled him.

"I cannot let you destroy my plans! Not when I am so close!"

"He was an innocent in all this! He deserves some peace!" Daniel struggled to keep Alexander's hands from his throat.

"He is a liar! He thought to use me for his dirty work and then reap the gate for himself, but I was too smart for him and his protégé." Daniel shoved Alexander off of him and lunged for the bag. It had been kicked almost to the edge of the platform. Just as his fingers grazed the straps, a hand closed on the back of his shirt and pulled. His shirt ripped, but he was able to lunge forward and grab the bag.

He almost threw it in then, but something stayed his hand. It was the eerie silence that had fallen around the sanctum, the lack of renewed attack from Alexander. He turned. The way Alexander looked at him…his lips were trembling and his eyes were wide. His hands crept up to cover his mouth as if afraid that he would scream.

Daniel reached back and touched his exposed skin. It was not smooth, lines of ridges, of scars ran under his fingers. He remembered. His father, a belt raised, Daniel's face pressed into the sheets, biting them to try not to cry…"Oh!"

Alexander took a step towards him, raised a hand as if to touch his face. It was such a reverent gesture that Daniel could not help but draw back from it.

The doors burst in and with a triumphant howl the Shadow entered. Daniel turned and his sanity almost fled at the sight of it. He screamed, dropped what he had been holding and clutched at the arms that were suddenly around him. He pressed his face into Alexander's chest, forgetting that they had been enemies moments before. Anything, anything was more welcome than that…that… And he had been going to that death willingly, had thought himself brave enough to walk into its maw. He wanted to laugh, but it came out as a sob. This Daniel was a coward too, it proved.

"For what it is worth," Alexander said against his ear to be heard over the Shadow and the scream of the gate, "I am sorry. So so sorry." He then shoved Daniel from him. Daniel screamed again, knowing that Alexander was sending him to his doom. But it was not into the tentacles of the Shadow that he had been thrust, but into the whirlpool of the gate. Alexander grabbed for him, he felt his hand clutch at his arm, but it was like riding in a whirlwind and they were torn from each other. Alexander left him screaming his name, Daniel could only scream.

* * *

Daniel awoke crying. He rubbed at his face, confused for a moment until his dream settled upon him. "You protected me."

"I did a very bad job of it, damn fool that I am."

Daniel closed his eyes. "Alexander."

The hiss of breath was loud in the room.

"Do you not prefer me to call you that?"

"Do not be vicious, dear heart."

"How am I supposed to be? All those people you killed, you tortured! And for what?" He sat up on the bed, noticing for the first time that it was his own.

"For you." Rosyth met his eyes squarely and Daniel shrank in on himself. "I did it all for you."

"Do not tell me that, do not lay the blame for their lives on me." He wanted to put his fingers in his ears, to hum loudly to drown out Rosyth's words.

"They weren't important; they didn't even exist to you except as nightmares from another man. Do not fear them or worry about the sins of others."

"But they did! I remember…God, help me I remember." A little girl cowering from him in the dark, eyes wide with terror and his hands reaching to wrap around her slight neck.

"It wasn't you!" Rosyth was at his side, arms going around him. "None of it was you."

"I killed her!"

"You killed no one," Rosyth said against his hair. "You do not have it in you to harm a soul."

Daniel clutched at Rosyth's arm to pull it from him, but instead rested his trembling hands against it.

"How could you do that, all of that? How could you do that to me?"

Rosyth rocked him, murmuring endearments to him. "I did not know you. Gods help me, I didn't know."

"He had my face, Rosyth! He had my name!" But Rosyth was shaking his head, cupping Daniel's face to keep him still.

"He was nothing like you. There was a resemblance, enough for me to stay my hand when he came to my doorstep, but he was so base, so…human."

"I am human!"

Rosyth appeared not to hear him, instead tucking Daniel under his chin. "Even your body language is different. You move with such grace, your whole being is grace itself."

"We're the same, damn you. You should have known!"

"Perhaps." Rosyth let him straighten, but did not let him go. "But so much time had passed, Darling. Your face was clear to me, but your name…I must confess I did forget it. I did hate it so. And I did have a fondness for him at first; I even thought he might have been a relative of yours such was the likeness. Then his weaknesses came out and I was appalled. How was I to know that I had passed through time? It seems ludicrous, impossible."

"He was me." But Daniel lacked conviction.

"He was a sad, weak man that killed himself rather than face his sins." Daniel cringed to hear his own thoughts repeated to him. "And from that sacrifice you were born." Rosyth leaned over and brushed his lips against Daniel's cheek. "You were born perfect."

Daniel had to laugh at that. "I am far from perfect. I was created from fear and guilt. In my first hours all I knew was terror."

"And honor. You sought to correct mistakes that weren't even yours. I have never known anyone so brave." The proud smile on Rosyth's face made Daniel want to slap him.

"Oh God."

"I didn't know it was you until I finally laid eyes on you. I swear I would have been by your side the moment you had awoken if I had but known. I would have protected you, sheltered you…"

"You did in a way." He was thinking of his journey through the gate, falling into this alien world and then his rescue by a man he would love with all of his heart.

"Yes, I suppose I did." Rosyth smiled, pleased.

 _One year_ , Daniel thought. _We had only known each other a year and it had led to a devotion that would spawn three centuries of horror_. Too late he felt Rosyth in his mind.

"It was all for you. It was all to come home to you."

"I know."

Rosyth leaned down until his cheek was pressed against Daniel's knees. "You promised to forgive me. You said if I confessed you would pardon."

Daniel did not remind that he had made no such promise. He slowly stroked Rosyth's hair and the man released a long sigh of relief. "You will forgive me, you have to. I have done so much to be with you, I have proven my love."

He trembled, but he did not stop his caresses.

"I would do it all over again, for twice as long, to be with you. Such is my love."

And it was such a terrible love. Daniel quelled before it, but none the less he whispered back, "I love you too. I dread that I will love you no matter what."

He could feel Rosyth smile against his skin. _I knew you could forgive me anything_. Daniel wondered that his sanity did not snap and cursed the fortitude of this new Daniel that he could not hide in madness ever again.


	32. Chapter 32

The orchids were withering and Daniel did not know how to help them. He sat back on his haunches and tried to blink away the tears of frustration that pricked his eyes. It was not the first time he had had charge of them, and he had not changed the routine Maria had showed him one iota, so why were they dying on him? He rubbed his hand over his cheek, not caring that he probably now had a smear of dirt across it.

"What is the matter? I could feel your distress." Too late he noticed Rosyth's footfalls behind him. He could not stop his spine from stiffening or his hands from clenching the fabric that bunched around his knees. "You aren't even dressed yet." Rosyth made sure to keep his chiding gentle as he crouched down beside Daniel. "Your robe is dirtied now." He attempted to brush the worst of it off, but Daniel clasped his hands, squeezing them.

"There is something wrong with the orchids." He looked up into Rosyth's face, imploring, hoping he would grasp how important this was. Rosyth stared blankly back at him before frowning in confusion.

"I have noticed."

"I have done everything I can think for them, but still they…" He flung his hand out at them and was ashamed to realize he was on the verge of tears yet again.

"When I post in the capital for positions at the keep, perhaps I shall list the need for a gardener too." Rosyth stood and tried to coax Daniel into standing as well.

"No!" Daniel was horrified. "They are my responsibility! I should be able to do this, just this." He jerked himself out of Rosyth's loose hold and fell to his knees.

"Of course. I understand." His tone implied that he did not. "Come, get dressed. Lunch is ready."

"Help me up." Daniel's hip had been acting up of late. He knew that the reasons were his stress, but he could not help rubbing at it, trying to ease the phantom pain that haunted him.

Without comment Rosyth offered him his hands and pulled him to his feet. On impulse Daniel embraced him, hiding his face against his jacket. "I am sorry. I do not know what is wrong with me."

They both knew what was wrong and it was not the ailing orchids. But Rosyth did not give voice to it and Daniel let himself pretend that he was thankful for it.

* * *

"How did it happen?" Daniel twirled his cup around and around in his hands. The Oo-luk it contained had long grown cold.

"How did what happen?" Rosyth's mouth tightened, but he did not look up from the book Daniel had written.

"Everything."

Rosyth sighed; it was almost a growl. "You know how it happened. You were there."

"I was not. And I do not know, not really. I can guess from the bits and pieces I have figured out, but it is not the same as hearing it from your mouth."

"And if I told you all the gory details could you leave it? Could we at least attempt to move on?" Rosyth smiled bitterly. "No, we could not. It would be even more fresh in your mind, my wrong doings. Go make us some more Oo-luk. Your chapter on the ruins south of here is proving to be very interesting."

Daniel slammed his cup on the table and rose, but did not go to the door. Instead he moved to Rosyth and knelt before him, taking one of his hands in his own. He was just opening his mouth to plead one more time when the book was dropped and Rosyth's fingers were digging painfully into his upper arms.

"Don't kneel to me! Don't ever kneel to me!" He hauled Daniel to his feet, or tried to but it proved impossible to do from a seated position. Instead he only managed to make Daniel unbalance and fall into his lap. Rosyth realized he had gone too far and forced a smile to his face. "See? This is better." The jest was weak, but Daniel forced out a startled laugh.

"What was that all about?" he asked after Rosyth had mastered himself. He placed a hand at the back of Rosyth's neck, fingers playing with his hair.

"Don't ever beg me for anything. It lowers you."

Daniel could not help snorting. "I was not begging you, Rosyth. I was trying to get your attention and thought it a winsome gesture." Rosyth would not meet his eyes, instead intent on running his hand along the stiff material of Daniel's robe-he had forgotten to change out of them before lunch and had remained in them all day.

"Did you make love to him?"

"Did I what? To whom?" Rosyth's head shot up and his face was the very picture of outrage.

"Who do you think? It must have been lonely those long centuries-" He yelped as Rosyth picked him up and marched to the bed to throw him down on it.

Rosyth stood over him, hands resting on his hips. "You dare accuse me of infidelity!"

"Would it really be infidelity? Technically it was me that you were-"

Rosyth's fist hitting the wall by his head silenced him. And brought him back to himself. Daniel felt his shame flood his face and judging by the satisfied glimmer in Rosyth's eyes, he had noted it too.

"I have never touched anyone but you. I have never desired anyone but you. That man was an impure imitation and even entertaining the notion of…It would have been insulting to both of us."

"Surely he was not so unlikable. I read his journal entries, I know you had at one point even planned to take him back with you."

"Are you jealous?" Rosyth asked, incredulous. Then he laughed, long and hard and to the point where Daniel almost suspected it of being hysterical.

"I suppose it is silly, to be jealous of oneself."

Rosyth's merriment died in an instant and Daniel was afraid he would hit the wall again, such was his expression. "That man was never you. Ever."

"But was he likable?"

Rolling his eyes, Rosyth sat on the bed, swinging his legs up on the mattress. After a moment's hesitation, Daniel scooted over to rest his chin on his shoulder.

"He was likable. At first." Rosyth put an arm around Daniel, his hand sliding down to cup over his mass of scars on his hip. "I was so lonely and he was charming. Yes, there was also the fact that in a certain light he reminded me of you, but… What is fragile in you, was weakness in him. That charming curiosity of yours was in him an almost infantile stupidity. Yet I still welcomed his company, especially down in the…Even I did not like to be by myself there."

"You planned to take him with you. Why?"

"To build a harem. Why do you think, you little twit? He was helping me and there was a creature hell bent on his destruction chasing him. I thought the least I could do was bring him to this world to escape it and then figure out what to do with him from there. But then he…" Rosyth touched his temple.

"He lost himself," Daniel supplied. He remembered a voice that was eerily like his own crooning in the dark, singing a song to a bound man with a bag over his head. He pressed himself more tightly against Rosyth.

"He let the Shadow in. He was tainted. After that it was no longer possible to take him with me for fear that he would bring the damn thing with him wherever he went."

"I was not tainted."

"Of course you weren't. You never let darkness into your heart. I honestly don't think you capable of it."

"Maybe everyone is capable of it. He was pressed to the very limits of his sanity, his soul." Daniel could not believe that he was defending the man.

"Not you." Rosyth ended the discussion with a firm kiss.

"Were you not the least bit tempted?" Daniel asked as soon as he had regained both the use of his lips and his breath.

Rosyth did not groan, but Daniel could tell it was a near thing.

"Not in the least. The things that make you admirable were missing in him. Besides, I would never stoop to…with a human." Rosyth made such an expression of disgust that Daniel was laughing before he realized what he had said.

"But Rosyth, surely I am-"

Again Rosyth silenced him with a kiss.

It was the first time they had made love after Rosyth's revelation. Daniel wanted it rough, he wanted to not even have time to think, to just be a slave to his pleasure until the ecstasy drove out the world. Rosyth did not comply. Every caress, every movement was slow and reverent. It was both excruciating and wonderful at the same time and Daniel was forced to only cling onto the sheets and cry out pleas that went unheeded.

Rosyth never stopped touching him, not even when they were lying side by side at the end of it gasping and sweating. Daniel moved until his cheek was against Rosyth's shoulder. Rosyth turned his head slightly so his breath stirred Daniel's hair. Surely this was the only thing that mattered. If they could keep making love with this much ferocity and feeling, surely they could surmount anything, Daniel thought muzzily, almost asleep.

"There was a world before your world in my travels," Rosyth said, his hand stroking Daniel's scars. "It was there that I finally ran my cousin to ground. He opened the gate to escape me, but I was too fast. We both fell to Earth. I think something was wrong with his Traveller's Locket. The passing…hurt, but the pain was forgotten as soon as I felt ground beneath me. All I could think of was to end him, to end him so I could finally return to you."

Daniel made a small sound, either in encouragement or a plea to stop, even he could not tell.

"We fought. I have never been into sport. I fully expected that if I ever did catch up to him that it would be I who died, but…" He glanced down at his hand and frowned as if seeing it besmirched with something only visible to him. Daniel gently took it and held it against his heart.

"You won."

"And in winning lost everything." Rosyth closed his eyes. "I defeated him, true enough, and it was a long and grueling fight. One more of stamina than might and the only reason I think I won it was due to my selfishness of you." His voice broke and he had to pause and clear his throat. "Dying in some backwoods world without ever seeing you again, leaving you to the mercies of whoever came to claim you... I wouldn't allow it, it gave me the strength I needed, but the Traveller's Lockets…"

"They were damaged?" Daniel prompted after a long minute of Rosyth brooding into the middle distance.

"One destroyed and one lost. You know the rest; do not make me tell you that."

"Not now that dark has fallen," Daniel agreed. "But if you need to tell me ever-"

"I really do not deserve you," Rosyth said hoarsely, as he gathered Daniel into his arms.

A small part of Daniel agreed with him, but he pushed it down deep within himself. No matter what Rosyth said, Daniel was just as much to blame for those sins. He should have told Rosyth to flee when the emperor first commanded he slay his cousin. More than that, he should have told Rosyth his whole sordid tale when first they could understand each other and have broken them free from this sad cycle. The worst sin of all though, he should not have kindled so great a passion within Rosyth that the man would become half crazed to return to him. He should have withheld his love, spurned him, and in doing so kept him safe. But the thought of not having Rosyth's love was too great for him and he felt those damnable tears start to course down his cheeks once again.

"No more crying," Rosyth chided. "I have had enough of your sadness."

Daniel could not answer and only clung to Rosyth as the man tried in vain to comfort him.

* * *

The girl at his side raised her lantern high, casting its glow on the rocky landscape and the mist which surrounded them. "Where is this?" Daniel asked, not at all pleased to see her back in his dreams.

"Your world, I would hazard."

"I have never been here."

"This isn't from your memories, not from either set of them." She threw him a teasing smile that he did not return.

"Why have you brought me here?"

"I came here for my own purposes. You just happened to stumble across me as you slumbered. Ah, here! Just the man I was seeking."

Two men came out of the fog around them. One grabbed the other and threw him at their feet. Hy'vel, Daniel recognized with a gasp. Hy'vel snarled at the other man, wiping a trickle of blood from his mouth. "Do you really think you can beat me at grappling? I've much more experience at killing."

Rosyth did not respond. He was out of breath and watching Hy'vel warily.

"What cousin, no argument that your hands are not entirely clean of blood?"

"Hy'vel, you are all that stands between me and my home. Do me the courtesy of dying already."

"No," Daniel said softly. He did not expect to be heard-this was only a memory after all- but Hy'vel's eyes shot to him, startled.

"I will not let you go home, cousin." Though his words were for Rosyth, he seemed to be addressing them to Daniel, for his eyes never wavered from him.

Rosyth sneered. "Do you really expect him to welcome you after you have murdered me? Do you think he will lay with you knowing that my blood stains the hands that caress him? He will despise you."

"I know." The sadness in Hy'vel's eyes made Daniel reach out and clasp the hand of his guide. She squeezed back, as equally as affected by the scene as he. "I know and yet it has to be better than binding his soul to you. I have committed evil and I have tried to atone for it. I take comfort that though I have done evil, I am not evil. Not like you."

"I did what I had to."

"You didn't have to do that." Hy'vel flung a hand out at the little girl. She seemed taken aback by his acknowledgement of her. Rosyth never once turned to look at where Hy'vel indicated. "You are evil, vile, a monster! And if you think I would let you turn him into the kind of monstrosity you made her-"

Rosyth lunged at him. Too late Hy'vel and Daniel noticed the gleam of a blade from his sleeve. The two men met and began to scuffle gracelessly. There was the sound of a blow, a short exclamation, and then Hy'vel was stumbling towards them, his hand pressed to his side. Rosyth was thrown, falling on his back.

"Hy'vel!" Daniel was on his knees, trying to cradle the other man's face in his hands. He could not seem to touch him though and he made a small sound of distress at it.

"Don't. It's too sweet, your weeping for me."

"Do not die, not for me."

"There's no better reason to die." He glanced at the girl and smiled. She shook her head, eyes wide.

"I knew you often talked of the possibility of this, but I must confess I never thought it possible," she said.

His smile was almost bashful. "No one ever gave me enough credit when it came to my proficiency in the mental arts."

"I did."

His eyes grew soft. "I know."

"He imprinted himself on my brother," she explained. "A sort of dying message, a will."

"Is he a…ghost?" Daniel did not like the idea of a piece of Hy'vel living on in Rosyth.

"No, more like a recording in one of the thought-canisters. Once we have heard the message, he will-" She choked and could not go on.

"Then perhaps we should not listen to it. Let us just walk away and-"

"Always so cruel without meaning to be, Daniel," Hy'vel mocked. "You would even deny a dead man his last words to those he loves. Don't wince at it! I did love you, both of you."

"I never asked for it." Daniel and the girl jumped as they realized they had spoken in unison.

"None the less you had it. I am sorry I did not better protect you both when I was alive. I like to think I did so in my dying though."

"You damned us." Daniel's hands clenched and anger made them shake.

"Did I?" Hy'vel smiled that annoying, teasing smile of his. "I think we were all damned in our own way from the beginning. The least I could do was take two of the monsters out of the equation and let you two fend for yourselves without our twisted desires getting in the way of your happiness."

"You were always an idiot, cousin." The girl sighed.

"And still you were fond of me." He gave them a small bow. "Now if you'll excuse me, I must finish my final act." He knelt once more on the ground, hand clutching over the gaping wound in his side. He turned his head to look behind him and Rosyth jerked as time once again started. "Oh, cousin!" Hy'vel sang out and held up his hand with a flourish.

Rosyth looked up and the color in his face drained as he saw what Hy'vel held: his Traveller's Locket.

"No! You are damning us all!" Daniel cried, trying with all his might to seize Hy'vel's hands.

"I am saving you, both of you. He's right, I don't deserve you, but you sure as the hells do not deserve him." He threw the locket to the ground and brought a rock down upon it with all his might. The breaking of metal rang out in the sudden silence. He smiled up at them. "I love-" The sickening crack of a rock meeting his skull silenced him.

"What have you done, what have you done?" Rosyth screamed, bringing the rock down again and again.

Daniel covered his eyes, and then remembered his young guide who was looking on the scene with shock. "Do not look, sweetling. Close your eyes!" He pulled her to him, pressed her face into his chest. She shuddered and he knew that she was weeping.

Rosyth's fury was spent and the gore covered rock slipped from his fingers. "Dread Ones," he whispered staring down at what he had wrought. He sank to his knees and pawed through Hy'vel's clothes growing more and more frantic.

"He hid his. Hid it or destroyed it. Damn noble fool," she said, turning to look at her brother. "Come, we know how this ends. It is time to head back."

"Why did you show me this, why did he want us to see this?"

She smiled grimly at him. "Who wants to die alone and unmourned, Daniel? I for one didn't." Her smile faded and her eyes were chips of obsidian. "And you should have the courtesy to witness what you wished for."

"No," Daniel closed his eyes. "I did not want this. I wanted none of this! And all of it done in my name! How shall I bear it?"

"So narcissistic, men are. Some of that was partially for me." She moved her gaze from him and stared at the swirling mist. "And most of this was a long time in coming, before we even knew you. We did exist before you fell into my brother's arms. We had our own stories and tragedies. You were just one more character in a sad, sad tale." She put her small hand in his and tried to walk him away from the scene of brutality, of hopelessness. "I've more to show you. Maybe you will better understand-" But Daniel pulled his hand from her and stumbled back.

"I have seen enough! I do not wish to see anymore of your horrors. I have had my fill for a lifetime."

"You need to-"

"I need nothing! Not from you! Just leave us in peace. It was hard won, we deserve it."

"You do." She shook her head slowly. "But not him."

Daniel threw himself into the mist, hands pressed against his ears.

He awoke with a start, rousing Rosyth.

"Darling?" Rosyth murmured, still half asleep. He tried to pull Daniel to him, but he struggled to get away, the thought of being restrained in any way terrifying him. "Daniel," Rosyth barked. His harsh voice snapped Daniel out of his panic and he sagged against Rosyth with a sob.

"Do not leave me. Not ever again! Let nothing part us ever again!"

"You silly thing, it was a nightmare." Rosyth kissed his brow and then roughly hugged him. "Just a nightmare. I am here, I will always be here for you." Daniel let himself be rocked, but he refused to sleep for the rest of the night.

* * *

For a change it was Rosyth who lured Daniel to the workroom. "I have not the strength for it today," Daniel protested, but Rosyth refused to let him be idle.

With resignation Daniel picked up one of the tools for sawing through metal and began work cutting pipe into the sections that they would need for their next project. He thought back to his dream and pressed his lips into a thin, forbidding line. How dare she? After all he had done for her, after everything they had gone through she had to rub Hy'vel's death in his-

"Daniel!"

Rosyth's voice jerked him out of his reverie. "Yes, what-" Rosyth snatched the saw from his hand, throwing it aside, and cradled Daniel's left hand.

"Did you not feel it?" Rosyth's tone was equal parts worry and anger. Daniel was confused by it until he looked down and saw that his hand was covered with blood.

Of all the reactions he could have chosen, he blushed. "I did not notice," he admitted.

Rosyth gave him an incredulous, exasperated look, then took off his sash and bound up the dripping wound. "Let's go back to our quarters. We need to put some antiseptic on that.

"I am sorry," Daniel said too defensively.

"Just…come along with me."

After applying a lot of stinging medicines and re-wrapping Daniel's hand in proper bandages, Rosyth knelt before him holding his injured hand for a long time. Daniel was loath to disturb Rosyth's thoughts, afraid it would lead to some recrimination against himself. Rosyth stood at last, still holding Daniel's hand loosely in his own.

"Where are you going?" Daniel asked.

"To the workroom. I'll finish up our work and clean up."

"Let me go with you."

"There is no need for that."

"Rosyth, I did not do it on purpose!"

"I know, but you are distracted and I do not want to see how else you can injure yourself today."

"I did not sleep well."

"You have hardly slept at all of late."

Daniel dropped his eyes and clutched Rosyth's hand tightly until his wound protested. "I have been having dreams…"

"Nightmares," Rosyth corrected. "What are they about? Will you tell me?"

"Your sister, my sister…they tend to blend as one in the dreams, and last night…I saw…Hy'vel." He turned his face away. Rosyth crouched before him once more.

"I should never have told you. Not any of it." He kissed Daniel's hand and pressed it to his cheek.

"But you should have!" Daniel touched Rosyth's hair; let the strands slide through his fingers. "If you cannot confide in me, who else do you have?"

"I should be strong enough to bear this alone. I should have never tried to make you share this."

"You should have! Of course you should have. I am your lover; it is my responsibility to share in both your joys and sorrows. The worst you can do to me is try to shelter me."

The impassioned outburst made Rosyth smile. He gently touched Daniel's face. "You are not strong enough to accept all my sorrows."

"I am stronger than you think!"

"Perhaps." Rosyth kissed his hand again and rose. "Try to take a nap. If you sleep during the day, it might keep the dreams at bay."

"I will not sleep without you near me."

Rosyth's eyebrow quirked up and his smile was humorless. "Did you ever think that sleeping near me might be causing the nightmares?" He did not stay to hear Daniel's response.

Daniel did not even attempt to sleep; he instead wandered around the garden, dreading what the night would bring. Rosyth found him some hours later once more before the orchids. Daniel heard his approach this time and turned to greet him. He fretted whether the kiss Rosyth returned was cooler than its want and wondered if his carelessness had led to something irreparable in their bond.

"Stop worrying about silly things," Rosyth said, pulling him into his arms and holding him tight.

"How did you… Stop playing in my mind!"

"I do not mean to. I wonder what you are thinking and suddenly I have accidentally slipped in."

"Your telepathy has improved over the centuries. There was a time where you could not even enter my thoughts save in my dreams." Daniel tried not to admit to himself that he almost missed those times.

Rosyth flushed and Daniel was instantly charmed; he could not remember ever seeing Rosyth blush before. "I had extensive practice in my exile. I had to maintain my glamour after all."

"So it was a mental trick, looking so aged?"

"Of course it was!" Rosyth drew himself to his full height. Daniel tried not to laugh.

"Could you wear that guise again?"

"Why ever would you want that?"

Daniel could only shrug, unsure himself why he wished to see the face of his former self's tormentor. Rosyth rolled his eyes. There was a faint stirring in Daniel's mind, but after several seconds of expectant pause, Rosyth's face remained unchanged. "It is not working."

Rosyth's lips twitched into something almost a smile. "I rather hoped that it would not." He reached out for Daniel and drew him close, resting his chin on the top of his head. "Your mind isn't so low as to be deluded by simple parlor tricks."

Uncomfortable at yet another allusion that he was somehow different from the species he had started from, Daniel gently pushed him away. Rosyth took hold of his wrist, unwilling to release him entirely. "I have been thinking and you are right, we should ask for a gardener to come. I am at my wit's end with these damn orchids." Daniel flung his hand at the brown stems which encircled the monument.

"While I was cleaning up the workroom, I was thinking as well. Come here, don't turn away from me." His arms were around Daniel's waist and Daniel put his hands on Rosyth's shoulders, slightly alarmed at the seriousness that had taken over his lover's features.

"And what were you thinking about?"

"Perhaps it is best if we did not ask for servants to come here."

"For God's sake, Rosyth! You needn't worry about me embarrassing you. I cut my hand on accident. I will not throw myself off the casements anytime in the near future!"

"Hush, stop being so dramatic." Rosyth shook him. "You would never shame me. Ever. I am concerned for you though."

"Rosyth." Daniel's voice was a warning.

"Let me finish. I was wondering if it would not be better for you if we move."

Daniel frowned. "Move? As in travel?"

"We can do that, if you wish. I was imagining something more permanent though."

"Where would we move to?" Panic made Daniel's voice waver. This was the only home he had ever known. It was the home that he had cherished, that he had fought to remain at during Rosyth's absence and now it was to be thrown away…

"The capital."

"No! Never! Are you mad?" Daniel smacked him on the shoulder and tried to break free of his hold.

"Hear me out. There would be more things to stimulate you there. Theatres, libraries…and you would have your friends near."

"And we would be practically in the emperor's lap. No thank you."

"Don't dismiss it so quickly. Think on it." Rosyth clutched Daniel to him, crushing the breath from him. "I worry for you. It must be so lonely here."

"I have you, how am I to be lonely?" It sounded hollow even to his own ears. "I have no desire to move house, but I will admit that travel has its appeals."

"I promised you a trip before I left." Rosyth kissed his hair.

Daniel tipped his head back, offering Rosyth his lips. "You did," he said when they parted. "And I will hold you to it."

Something akin to delight lit Rosyth's severe features. "I shall start planning then."

* * *

"Darling, come to bed."

"I am really not at all sleepy," Daniel said, trying to smother the yawn that threatened to bloom.

"You are nodding off as I watch. Come lay down with me."

"Another chapter, please. This book is very interesting." Daniel reached for his cup of Oo-luk, pretending not to notice how his hand shook. He gave an exclamation of indignation when Rosyth snatched the book from his hand and put a hand firmly around his arm.

"Bed, Daniel. Now."

"Or you will carry me off?" Daniel squeaked as Rosyth began to crouch down. "Yes, I see you will! Fine, I will come to bed!"

Rosyth sighed and stood again, offering Daniel his hand. "You always make things so difficult." Daniel meekly let himself be led to bed and even allowed himself to be tucked in. He struggled against sleep though with every fiber of his being.

The third time he woke himself from a doze by jerking out of it, Rosyth wrapped around him. "Are you truly that afraid of your dreams?"

"Yes," Daniel said softly.

"You cannot stay awake forever, love."

"I know," Daniel snuggled closer to Rosyth. "Could you…" He trailed off, suddenly shy to ask for something so invasive.

"Could I what?"

"Could you stop me from dreaming somehow? Is there some mental trick that would allow you to guard my sleeping mind?"

Rosyth drew in a sharp breath and pulled Daniel to him tighter. "I could wrap around your mind and join our dreams. I have done it before accidentally." He sounded eager.

"Please." Daniel bit his lip to stop himself from moaning as Rosyth entered his being. It was like lowering oneself into a bath that was exactly the right temperature. "Will it be too much of a strain on you?"

 _No, it feels entirely too good_. The mental voice was almost obscene in its pleasure. It was almost too intimate, having Rosyth closer to him than his own flesh. _Making love like this would be amazing_. There was a flutter of thoughts and Daniel realized that he had not meant to be privy to that last one. He laughed though and laid his head against Rosyth's heart.

_Keep me safe._

_Always._ Strong fingers stroked through his hair, easing Daniel into slumber.

* * *

A soft hand on his shoulder stirred him awake. He was still in the cradle of Rosyth's arms, so the hand on his shoulder was not that of his lover. Confused, he raised his head. The woman sitting on the edge of the bed was a vision. Daniel knew he must be dreaming for nothing so lovely could exist in the world. There was something familiar in that face that would have been harsh without the long white hair falling in curls around it. Her golden eyes were warm, the color of honey in sunlight.

"Clever, Danny, but you can't keep me out that easily." She smiled to soften her words. Her smile made Daniel dizzy. "We're a part of each other now."

"Do I know you?" He disentangled himself from Rosyth's limbs and sat on the edge of the bed beside her. "I do, do I not?"

"You know me as well as you know yourself."

"Does that mean not very well then?"

She laughed and Daniel was half in love with the musical sound. "Better than you think, let's say."

Daniel found himself shy around her, that bright, direct gaze making him blush. She grinned and glanced over his shoulder at the sleeping Rosyth. Her smile faded and Daniel placed her, jerking as the realization hit him.

"You are his sister." He could see it now; they were almost a perfect mirror of one another.

"I am your Maria," she said, her voice low with an edge that was almost dangerous.

He fidgeted, uncomfortable turning to alarmed. "I will not let you hurt him."

Those sunshine eyes were back on him. "I will not let him hurt you."

"You sound like Hy'vel."

"We always were too similar. It drove him to despair at times." She jerked her chin at her brother.

"Are you angry at me?" Daniel asked, twisting his ring around his finger. "For Hy'vel…For loving Rosyth…" His ring twisted faster and faster. "I cannot help who I fell in love with!" he burst out.

"I am not angry at you, not now at least." She stilled his hands by cupping her own over them. Her touch was cool and soothing. "I am concerned though."

"I do not need anyone's concern!" He tried to pull away, but her slim hands were deceptively strong.

"You say you love him and I think he truly does believe that he loves you."

"Leave us in peace then!"

"Not until you learn the full story, Danny. You were chosen to be a part of our lives, this dark tale. You deserve to know what you have stepped into and if…" Her voice caught and she had to lower her eyes. The sweep of her dark lashes against her cheeks was mesmerizing. She made herself meet his eyes, but he could see the effort it took to keep her expression composed. "If you choose to stay with him after all is revealed I will leave you two in peace."

"What will become of you?" Daniel squeezed her fingers.

She pressed them back. "That depends on you."


	33. Chapter 33

The bed beneath them disappeared and Daniel found himself standing in the bronze entrance chamber to the castle. Maria's hand was still tightly clasping his own, and she watched his face as if to gauge his reaction.

"Why are we here?"

"I thought it would be easier to show you than explain. You seem to be impacted more by the visual." Hy'vel's bloody end rose in Daniel's mind and he struggled to be free from her hold. His awe for her was broken. He began to have an inkling of what she had in store for him and was not at all willing to take part.

"Danny, you heard _him_ out. Do me the same courtesy. Listen to my story." She clawed at his arms as he fought to be free of her. Finally she had a firm hold on his sleeve and held on with all her strength.

"Stop calling me Danny!"

"Why? It's what your sister called you."

"You are not my sister!" It was as if he had slapped her. She reeled back, eyes wide. Daniel almost had the impression that she had forgotten that they were not kin. She let go of him and pressed her hand to her heart as if it pained her.

"Maybe not by blood." She turned from him so her face was cast in shadow. He could feel her grief though, pulsing through the bond he had never realized they shared. He was at once contrite, reaching out to touch her shoulder.

"I am sorry. Please try to understand me, to understand us. We have been through hell and back-"

"And you think I haven't?" She faced him and Daniel drew back at the fury in her eyes. It was soon masked behind a haughty expression that rivaled Rosyth's; Daniel could still feel it though, bubbling beneath the surface. "I don't want to be the villain in this, the destroyer of the little paradise you've built with my brother, but in the end if that is how you see me-" Her voice cracked and she grimaced at it, annoyed at her weakness. "That is a risk I am willing to take. I hope though…" Her eyes darted away.

"What do you hope, Maria?"

"I hope you understand me. I hope you see me as a person and not your dead little doll that you can pretend is your friend because she can never say anything disagreeable to you. I want…" She made an odd gesture with her hand, trying to sign the unexplainable. "I want to be your true friend. I want your…" her voice dipped low, as if the word were a shameful admission, "love."

Daniel could feel the emotion attached to the word. Even though it blazed like a brand against his soul, it was quite unlike the passion in which Rosyth pronounced it. There was a neediness to it, the longing of a child for something that it knew existed but had never experienced: family. She wanted a family. And Daniel could feel his own desires rise to match hers. He, too, wanted to fill a void, one he had never known had existed within himself until he had sensed it echoed in her.

"I will listen. That is all I promise," he said when he could trust his voice.

"That is all I ask." She took his hand again and there was immediately a sliding sensation as they slipped into-

She ran down the stairs. Her mother would be horrified that she had not taken the elevator-she could fall, she could hurt herself, ruin the face that was her mother's pride- but she had been confined for too long. The exercise of running, of imperiling herself, was exhilarating. The stairs ended at a blank wall, but it only gave her pause. She pressed the bricks in the order her grandfather had taught her and the wall slid open, spilling her into the entrance chamber.

Her timing could not have been more impeccable. The wall was closing behind her just as the energy bolts which guarded them flickered and died. Rosyth strode through, pausing to place his hand on the doorway to once more seal the way behind him. When he turned around he almost stumbled back into the energy bolts as his sister threw herself into his arms.

"You're back!"

"Of course I am. I did send word of the date and hour of my arrival." He was stiff in her arms and his tone was annoyed. He did not shrug her off of him though, keeping perfectly still until she released him herself.

"Don't be so reserved with me! I haven't seen you in months."

"That is hardly unusual." He tried to draw away from her, but she quickly linked her arm through his and led him to the elevator.

"The time frame might be normal, but surely the distance is remarkable. We were on separate worlds from one another!"

Rosyth contrived to look bored. She huffed in frustration and spun on his arm-almost overbalancing him-until she was in front. "So you have nothing to say to your darling sister?"

A degree of hesitancy entered his expression. "I heard you were wounded during maneuvers, hence why you were sent on leave earlier than we supposed."

She beamed the slightest bit at his attention. "It wasn't as bad as I am sure Mother made it sound. I was back on my feet within a week, but she threatened to kill herself if I left before the time allotted to me for recuperation."

Rosyth rolled his eyes at their mother's theatrics. "And…Father?"

"Took one look at me and holed himself up with a crate full of wine." She clucked her tongue. "You know how he is."

Rosyth's face tightened. He knew very well how their father was. They both had the scars to remind them if they should ever try to forget.

"Oh, don't go into a brood! The twins are dying to see you, as is A'la."

Rosyth made a face that had her laughing. "Just give them some of your mechanical toys to play with and they will forget that you are even here."

"Until they break them," Rosyth muttered, pushing her out of the way-gently-and continuing on to the elevator. She trailed behind him, poorly mimicking his aggressive stride.

It was like awakening from a dream. Her mind around Daniel's faded and he was once more his own entity. He tried not to let the pang of loneliness stab through him. He liked her. To always suspect that he would have and then to see that he indeed would have was so jarring it was almost sickening. "How were you wounded?" he asked. He noticed that once again they were in the in between place of mists.

"Maneuvers. Someone was maneuvering to gain rank and I got in the way." She smiled at her joke, but Daniel could not return it. She clicked her tongue. "It happens in the lower ranks of the military, especially the off world branches. It made me smarter and it never happened again, not to me at least." She frowned as if she were remembering something unpleasant. Stirring herself, she took Daniel's hand and pulled him back into her memories.

The carefree young woman was not entirely gone, but someone more reserved in her emotions and thoughts had taken over her eyes. Daniel had a moment to note this before the peculiar sliding sensation was back and he was suddenly behind those cautious eyes.

The table was set for dinner, the macabre constructs watching from their alcoves as the family feasted. The younger children were quiet, which was not unusual in the presence of their parents. What was unusual was her own silence. Her mother had always depended on her to break their father's dark moods with light banter and amusing stories of her missions. She could see her mother was upset with her by the quick, bird-like glances thrown her way. She pretended not to see them and studied her food as if she had never seen its like before.

"You're hardly eating a thing," her father's deep voice surprised her and for a moment she thought he was addressing her. Still such a silly thing, her heart, to soar so at the thought that he had finally noticed her. Looking up she saw him slide the tray he and Mother always shared from between them to directly in front of Mother. "You should try to eat more," he spoke softly, but Mother flinched at it and lowered her head so her long hair hid her face. Father frowned and sunk in on himself. No one would be able to talk to him now.

 _Will you be assigned off world again?_ Rosyth's mental voice bobbled in her head like an unsteady leaf on a pond. He really ought to practice his telepathy more. She sighed as she recalled that he had no one to practice with. She really worried for her brother, all alone with his books and experiments.

_Ask me out loud for the Dread Ones' sakes! Some conversation will make this whole ordeal less like a funeral._

_We are conversing._ His petulant tone made her grin.

"It looks like I am to be assigned to the royal battalion."

Rosyth's eyebrow quirked up, unimpressed and unsurprised. The children looked from one older sibling to the other, sure they had missed something but uncertain what. It was her parents, surprisingly, who had the more demonstrative reactions. Her mother dropped her spoon and her father's head jerked up, his eyes wide.

"You cannot…" Mother began.

"Refuse it," Father barked, cutting off Mother's soft spoken protest.

"I can't refuse it," she said, aghast at the prospect. "It would be tantamount to suicide."

A deluge of protests followed that she could not make out, her parents' words tumbling and intertwining with one another.

Rosyth calmly went back to eating his food and their siblings tentatively followed suit. This was apparently her fight and hers alone.

"If I fail to report, the least that will happen to me is that I will be re-assigned somewhere dreadful and will never have any chance for promotion again." Her anger had been slow to kindle, but it blazed up now. They had never taken an interest in her or her career before. How dare they do so now and actually expect her to obey them! "I don't understand why you two are carrying on like this!"

Mother could not hold her gaze and dropped it to the shaking, clasped hands before her. Father stared at her a moment before flicking his gaze to each person at the table. Finding no succor, he met her eyes again and opened his mouth to speak.

"It's because you're pretty," Rosyth said sounding almost bored. "There have been rumors of the new emperor's…predilections. They fear for your safety sister. Isn't that heart-warming?" The slight inflection on _your_ did not go unnoticed.

"Do not speak for your mother or myself," Father snapped. He looked almost relieved to be able to rage at something, to be distracted from putting his feelings into words for a change.

Rosyth did not look up from his meal and continued as if he had not heard their father speak. "I am surprised though. I would have thought both of them would be glad at the prospect of a marriage into royalty." Wiping his mouth with a napkin, he finally met her eyes and smiled. It was almost cruel. "Of course, maybe they realize that you aren't the marrying type."

"Rosyth'nelaeish!" her parents cried out in unison, shocked at the insinuation.

Her stomach roiled. She had heard rumors, everyone had. The emperor was unwed and did not seem the least bit interested in tying himself to a mate anytime soon. And all his playmates had a habit of turning up missing or… She coolly raised an eyebrow at Rosyth. "It is gratifying to see that you all worry for me. I assure you though I can take care of myself."

"That's partly what we are afraid of." The dry humor in her father's voice made her snap her head around to look at him.

"Ah, I see," Rosyth smiled bitterly, throwing his napkin onto his plate. She didn't see, but she tried not to let it show on her face. Curse him though, no one knew her better than her brother. "They are afraid that you'll spurn the emperor's advances too harshly and thus gain his ire. As he is not a forgiving sort, they fear it will have repercussions for us. Is that it Father? Mother? Or do you fear our delicate sister will object to some of the practices that have started up in Valenthral?" He clucked his tongue. "Either way, they fear your _softness_ will bring his wrath down upon our heads."

She looked at him with disgust. "What have I ever done to make you think I was soft? Is this because I object to your perverse experiments?"

"Those perverse experiments are what paid for this meal before us! Do you see Father working to keep us fed and clothed? Can Mother stir herself from her drugged induced melancholies to actually provide for us?" He slammed his fist on the table and everyone save her flinched.

"You, Rosyth'nelaeish? You alone? I remember someone demanding that a certain percentage of my wages be sent home every pay. This," she flung her hand around the room, "is partly in thanks to me and I didn't have to get my hands dirty to-"

"Being the emperor's dog, his butcher, is not dirtying your hands? Pray, tell us how you can possibly justify it to yourself. I need a lau-"

"Enough," it was softly spoken, but the tone of voice made them harken back to their childhoods, to their punishments. It muted them more effectively than a thrown plate at their heads would have. Their younger sister was sobbing, along with their mother. Father glanced dismissively at her and then clucked his tongue. "I will take my drink in my rooms." He offered Mother his hand and snapped his fingers when she did not immediately take it. "If you want to fight like a pair of curs, I suggest you do it outside in the gardens. You won't be in danger of breaking anything but yourselves out there." His eyes lingered on her and she thought he meant to say something more, but he only turned and led their mother away. Rosyth rose a few moments later and stalked out of the room, leaving her to try to comfort their brothers and sister.

"Here she is, the war hero," Rosyth turned and gave her a mock salute. She was too weary to punch him, but it was a near thing.

"Hello, Brother."

"How was the front? Did you finally appease your lust for blood?"

She looked at him coldly. "I am not a bloodthirsty monster, Rosyth'nelaeish."

He laughed. "Of course you aren't," his tone was condescending.

"I thought you would be happy that we were keeping you supplied with new projects." She thought of the shock it had been to see the slack face of one of the emperor's foes in the palace; a dead doll that did exactly what it was told and no soul left to shrink in horror or shame. It had almost made her vomit.

Rosyth's face went blank and tight; a sure sign that her barbed words had drawn blood. She let herself smile, let him know that she knew she had upset him. "I do my part for this miserable family."

"And I don't?" It was an old fight, one she was growing tired of. She had no idea why her brother was always so angry with her. Yes, she had admitted that their home life growing up had been vile. Yes, she had left as soon as she could and fled to the freedom the military had brought. _You could have too_ , she always wanted to yell at him _, you could have stayed in the capital or joined the royal machinists. No one made you stay here save yourself._ She always wanted to ask what had made him come back after their years unfettered in the capital. She never did. She wondered if she was afraid of his answer.

His eyes flashed, but he swallowed back his angry retort. "Father asked for you. He said that if I were the one to see you first, to tell you."

"Thank you, Brother." She gave him a stiff nod and turned, making sure to favor her injured leg.

"Wait."

She looked over her shoulder, ashamed at the hope that welled up in her after all these years.

"Why do you always seek me out when first you come home? Why not search out someone who will actually be happy to see you?"

The hope died and she was disappointed that she still felt hurt by it. "I don't know. I am beginning to realize that no one is happy to see me."

And he smiled at that, the bastard.

Father was amazingly only in the tipsy stages of drunkenness when she steeled herself to go meet him. Perhaps the conversation would be more amiable than she had dreaded.

"There is our little war hero!" He threw his arms open. When she didn't step into his embrace he let them drop to his sides, not hurt by her refusal because he had immediately forgotten about it. "And how is life at the rim of the worlds, conquering in our emperor's name?"

She clucked her tongue and accepted the glass of wine he offered her, swallowing it all in one gulp. Her father's eyes lingered on the empty glass and something flashed through his expression, a vein of sympathy that she had never seen in him before. Wordlessly he offered her the bottle and she took it with thanks.

"I never understood why you joined the military. You take no pleasure in pain."

"Rosyth'nelaeish would disagree." Warily she sunk onto the couch beside her father.

Father grunted. "You are a fighter, not a killer. The emperor doesn't choose battles you would wage willingly I would hazard."

"Father, that is close to treason and you are drunk."

"I am not, but if it makes you feel better, we can use that as an excuse." So saying, he took another swig from his glass.

She mirrored him, forgoing her glass and taking a drink from the bottle itself.

"I know I haven't been a good father to you," he pretended not to hear her snort, "but if I do one thing right by you, it's to offer you this piece of advice: run."

"Father?"

"Leave the emperor's service, leave this damn empire. Run fast and far, find a good mate, and settle down on some gods' forsaken world. Forget that this damned place ever existed and be happy."

Her eyes widened; she had never heard her father speak like this, never knew he had it in him. "Father, I can't."

"You can. Why do you say you can't? Out of some loyalty to us? You owe us nothing, why do you think I raised you two as I did? I wanted you to leave as soon as you could and never look back, to leave your mother and I to rot here as we deserve."

"Don't speak about Mother." The coldness to her tone drew him up short.

"I meant no disrespect to her. She's the one thing I've ever-" he broke off and looked away. "It broke us, this world. Broke something that might in other places have been…" He shook himself. "It's breaking your brother; I do not wish to see it twist you into something unrecognizable."

"If you expect me to believe that you care for us, that all those years of neglect, abuse and the threat of termination constantly over our heads was for our own good-"

His smile was grim. "I don't care if you believe me, just heed me."

She took another drink, thankful that the bitter liquor was dulling her senses.

Her father studied her face with eyes that were the same shade as her own. "How goes the war, daughter?"

She set the bottle down on the floor and hid her face in her hands. "It's wrong. It's all wrong." She knew he reached for her and she knew that he would never bring himself to touch her, to comfort her. Comfort and empathy were not things that came easily to their family, to their race.

"I don't understand why you are showing me these things. They are sad, to be sure, and I am sorry your family was so unsympathetic to you…" Daniel said as they were once more flung from her memories and into the misty void.

"It's a story I've longed for a century to tell and one you should know. It will make you understand your lover more."

"And you as well?"

She shrugged.

Daniel titled his head to the side. "What did you mean by that? That you lived constantly under the threat of termination in your younger years?"

"It's the right of any patriarch or matriarch to correct mistakes in their family."

"Mistakes?"

"They can rectify the mistake of bringing a child into the world at any time until the child reaches maturity. Only those with necessary skills or talents or the potential for such will live on. That's the theory at least." Her lips gave a bitter twist.

"That is horrible!"

"That was our lives, our world. It still is for many. Through the years the practice seems to have fallen out of favor though." She said it as if to offer him hope, but Daniel could not take comfort from it.

"Rosyth had alluded to something of the sort. He said it was the reason he put himself into his studies so ardently." Daniel paused. "Why did he come back here? Why did you?"

"I don't know. Maybe it was in our blood. I think for me it was always the hope that I had changed, so perhaps, given time, others around me would do so too." She met his gaze; it was challenging. "Everyone wants a family, Danny. Everyone wants somewhere where they are always welcomed and..."

"Loved," Daniel finished for her.

She tilted her head to the side. "Yes. Even your Rosyth wanted it." Her eyes flicked over him. "Wants it."

"Did you ever find it?"

"Yes," her eyes grew distant, lost to memory, "after a fashion. I found it on the fields of battle with my compatriots and later, when I had become commander, with my subordinates. When I finally had had enough of the brutalities my society condones, I found it in my rebellion. It was a homecoming of sorts, when I finally threw the chains off at last."

"Do I want to see what comes next?"

Her eyes snapped back to him and the corner of her lip quirked. "No, you don't."

"But you will make me anyway."

"I think it is my right."

"As my friend?"

"As a sister. Because you are the only person that has ever come close to what I thought a brother should be." Before he could pull away, she darted forward and pressed a dry kiss to his temple. He was sinking again, into her memories, into her mind…

But he was not seeing the world through her eyes, not this time. He stood in a hallway lined with faces, a much familiar one, and he thought for a moment that he had fallen, not into her memories, but into his dreams. "I thought to spare you, at least a little," she murmured, appearing at his side.

Daniel started. It was not the ivory haired beauty that was beside him now, but the hairless, sunken eyed Maria he had first known. "What happened?" He reached to touch her withered cheek, but she flinched away.

"Watch. Just watch."

The door at the end of the hall was thrown open and Rosyth came stumbling out. He leaned against the wall and held up a shaking hand before his face; it was covered in blood. Sighing, he pressed it once more against the wound in his side.

"Rosyth'nelaeish, Brother!"

Rosyth's head jerked up and he slowly turned to look down the hall. Daniel did the same.

Maria, dressed for battle, ran down the hall, hands held out to him.

He drew back from her, something a cross between a snarl and a smile on his face. "So you were here all along. Hiding in your secret rooms were you? I thought you'd have the sense to run a bit further."

"I thought I could convince Mother to flee with me with our siblings." She pulled off the scarf that kept her mane of hair at bay and bound up the wound as best she could.

Rosyth laughed. His knees gave out on him and, barely catching him in time, she helped ease him to the floor. "Always the idiot, our mother. Never could see common sense if Father wasn't around to tell her." Rosyth hid his face in his hands.

"Is the emperor here?" Her hand dropped to a curious contraption at her side. _A gun_ , she explained in Daniel's mind.

Rosyth lowered his hands and gave her a look. "He waylaid me in the capital. Told me of your pathetic attempt at rebellion."

 _Pathetic in that we almost succeeded_ , her mental voice snapped in Daniel's head.

Maria slowly drew away from her brother and stood. "Rosyth'nelaeish, where are mother and father? How did you become wounded?"

Rosyth drew his knees up and pressed his face against them. "He gave me a choice. He came to me and laid _your_ crimes at _my_ feet and gave me a choice. What else could I do?"

"Rosyth'nelaeish, what in the hells happened here?"

He flung a hand at the partly opened door. "See for yourself. See what you wrought!" His voice broke and he hugged his legs again, started to rock back and forth.

Maria looked at the door, and then slowly, ever so slowly walked to it.

"I do not want to see this," Daniel whispered.

"Please." His Maria put a hand on his shoulder and gently pushed him forward.

"I do not-"

"If you love me, if any part of you loves me, either as friend or as a surrogate sister, please look." Her ebony eyes glittered and Daniel was disturbed to see that she was close to tears.

"I do love you, Hazel." He bit his lip at his slip, but she smiled at it.

"Thank you."

Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he shakily followed in the past Maria's footsteps. The hand closing around his wrist made him yelp in surprise. "That is not for your eyes," Rosyth said looking up at him, golden eyes looking almost mad through the tangled strands of his hair.

"She asked me to," Daniel said helplessly.

"And I am telling you not to. That," Rosyth jerked his chin at the door, "is a private matter between her and me. It is not for anyone not family."

"Isn't he family now, Brother?" The venom that dripped off that one word. "When you took him as mate, didn't he inherit this darkness as well?" She touched her brother's hand and he pulled back as if he had been burned. Freed, Daniel stumbled back. "Go on. I have some things I have wanted to tell my brother for a long, long time."

Using the wall for support, Rosyth rose to his feet. Not staying to watch the conflict, Daniel whirled around and quickly made his way to the receiving room before his nerve failed.

It was like stepping back into one of the torture chambers in Brennenburg. He reeled back, hands cupping his mouth to hold back the scream. Dimly he noticed that the Maria of the past was mirroring him, gold eyes wide in horror.

"What have you done?" She took a step back and slipped in blood, falling hard on her side. "What in the hells have you done?" she wailed, scrambling away from the…remains.

"He made a deal," Daniel answered her even though he knew he could not be heard. The emperor had ordered the execution of their entire family. The only reason Rosyth had been spared was that he had agreed to be the executioner.

"You have no idea how much I hoped you weren't here." Rosyth was leaning in the doorway, eyes skimming dully over the carnage.

Maria lunged for the sword still in her father's hand and spun around to face him. "And you think you can best me in battle, Brother? You know how many times I have almost died on the field. If a warrior could not bring me to my knees there is no way a worm like you would ever-"

"Sister, I have no wish to kill you." Rosyth stepped forward and raised his hands. "I think you're the one person in this family I never had any desire to see harmed."

"Gods damn it, Rosyth'nelaeish, why?" She glanced at the bodies and took a step back as Rosyth took one towards her.

"I didn't want to die."

She took one more step back and tripped over the outstretched arm of her mother. Daniel impulsively reached for her. His hands passed through her...and then he fell into her, became her once more. Her head struck painfully against the chair her father had favored causing her vision to waver. She was dazed for the precious few seconds that could have turned the fight in her favor.

Rosyth knelt, his knee shoving painfully into her ribcage. She felt the prick of a needle against her neck. She growled and pushed him from her, pulling herself up using the chair for support. The sword was between them. Its blade had tasted his blood once already; it would do so again. Her vision twisted and the sword trembled in her hand. It was growing heavier and she struggled to keep it aloft.

"No, I won't kill you like I did them. It was almost laughable how easily they…" He looked away and swallowed. "I have another fate in store for you, Sister. Something special for the bitch that caused all of this."

"You didn't have to…We could have…" Her tongue was thick in her mouth, the words laborious to get out.

He made a choked sound that could have been either a chuckle or a sob. "No, we couldn't."

 _Coward._ She flung the word at his mind as the sword slipped from her fingers. The sound of metal striking stone echoed through her bones and the world bled away into darkness.

She was gone. She was nothing.

Until…

A small prick of light in the unending black. It drew her near and for the first time in what felt like an eternity she felt…She _felt_. Curiosity, hunger, loneliness, hope, spiraled around inside of her mind. She had a _mind_ , she had a self! She had forgotten. How could anyone forget such things?

She crept nearer to the spark in the dark and realized that is was not of her but another being. Its mind was in agony, spiky with fear and pain, sending out tendrils of itself into the void between minds as if searching for something to give it form and to ease its panic.

On impulse she extended a slim piece of herself toward it and winced as it clutched at her, wrapping around her painfully tight. Daniel, the entity was called. And it gave her a name as well, a name she held against her heart as she was reborn into the world and thrust into a body she could barely call her own. He had named her-

Daniel let go of her hand and stumbled back from her. "I do not believe you. I do not believe any of this!"

"Yes, you do." She looked at him with pity in her black eyes. She was properly his Maria again, the other banished to the past forever.

"He-" He had had no choice. The lie had risen easily to Daniel's lips, but he could not make himself utter it. There are always choices. Rosyth could have ran, he could have warned Maria, he could have joined her in her rebellion. Together they would have been brilliant, they could have brought the emperor to his knees…

"That was the outcome I had been hoping for," she said with a twist of her lips. "I didn't foresee what did happen. I didn't think that such evil, such selfishness could have existed. I should have known better."

"There are no depths that a man will not sink when self preservation is concerned." Was that a quote? It rose easily to his lips, but in his head it was another's voice that uttered them. Alexander. The old Daniel had clutched at those words as a man will clutch a rope thrown to him when he is overboard, repeating them to himself again and again in the dungeons. It is my life or theirs and how much more precious is my life! No one can blame me for wanting to live. Who could say that they would not do the same?

"I would not," Daniel answered and closed his eyes.

"I would not either." Her hand closed around his, cool as the grave.

"What do I do now?"

"As I said before, that is up to you. But…you needn't do it alone." Her fingers dug painfully into his hand. He swallowed and squeezed her hand back.

"What was your name?"

She laughed and it sounded almost like a sob. "I don't remember anymore. Isn't that funny?"

 _No_ , Daniel thought as her hand faded in his, _it is not funny in the least._ He had lost himself, torn his mind to shreds, but at least he had been left with a name. She had had nothing until he had accidentally awakened her, and all that had been left for her to cling to was her pain. Her pain and her hope for a brother that would never betray her, that would love her unconditionally.

Daniel woke up with Rosyth's hand in his. Taking care not to wake him, he drew his hand away and rested it on his chest where it trembled. He stared up at the ceiling watching it become silvered by the setting moon. He thought of the past and he thought of redemption and the terrible price one must pay for it.


	34. Chapter 34

Daniel could not tolerate another uncomfortable morning cooped up in his quarters, the silences between Rosyth and he were growing more unbearable by the minute. Using the weather as an excuse, Daniel took his cup of Oo-luk and one of the small plates on their shared tray and ventured out into the garden. His feet took him to the monument and he sighed as he took his seat upon the grass. He had given up hope on the orchids-on a lot of other things, truth be told-and as if sensing it they had finally gave up their fight to live. They hung withered and dead on their branches.

"You really should not brood so. It's unbecoming." Rosyth's hand ghosted over Daniel's hair and he shuddered. The hand was snatched back.

"I do not really care if I am becoming or not these days." Daniel tilted his head back so he could see Rosyth's face. The other man would not meet his eyes.

Rosyth would have had to be a fool to not know that something was wrong between them and Rosyth had proven time and time again that he was no one's fool, save maybe fate's. Daniel tried to be a better liar, but though he had some measure of control over his tongue, his body was another matter entirely. He had developed a slight tremble whenever Rosyth was near and when his lover touched him he surely could not help but notice how Daniel tensed and steeled himself for each caress. But if Rosyth was curious what had brought about this sudden reticence, he never asked.

 _It's because he knows that I know and he is pretending not to_ , Daniel fretted. He remembered too well Rosyth's desperate clutch at his hand in that dream that was not a dream, his pleas for Daniel to not go down that nightmare hall, to not see what lay beyond the half-shut door at its end… How Daniel wished he had heeded those pleas. Immediately shame washed over him. If he had listened he would have been denying his Maria her due.

"I have work to do." Silence fell, awkward and heavy as a shroud around them. Daniel waited for Rosyth to invite him to aid and perhaps Rosyth was waiting for Daniel to offer. When neither spoke, Rosyth clicked his tongue and turned on his heel, his stride to the door long and angry.

Annoyance so acute it was almost fury pierced Daniel's heart. He opened his mouth to call Rosyth back to him. He wanted to talk about what he had seen in his dreams; he deserved to hear from Rosyth's own lips what had transpired in his past! Some small, vicious part of him also admitted that he wanted to see Rosyth grovel, to plead for his forgiveness, and it was that sharp, jagged edged part that made him close his mouth with a snap. Too much of his past in those base and cruel emotions and he would be damned if he ever indulged in them again.

If he followed Rosyth and asked in a soft voice for him to defend himself, would that not be better? If Daniel was not confrontational about it, if he asked with a hand on Rosyth's shoulder…And what if Rosyth had questions of his own and saw Daniel's seeking as an invitation to make his own inquiries? If Rosyth were to ask Daniel straight out if Daniel still loved him…

He dropped his Oo-luk to the ground and hid his face in his hands. His throat hurt with the repressed sob that it closed around. He would not cry. He had spent enough time mourning that man, wishing for that…that…creature to come home…

 _I didn't mean to hurt you_.

His head jerked up and his eyes darted around seeking Maria. Of course she was nowhere to be found. She was sending her thoughts from whatever secret spot she had run to-

The bushes stirred and she stepped through the branches, a graceful hand parting them to let her slip past.

They stared at each other for a long moment; Daniel's muscles still trembled with the urge for flight. An expression almost like abashment passed over her pale face and she dropped her eyes. Shame. That's what the emotion was, she was ashamed that she had…that she had confided in her only friend.

Daniel crossed the distance between them and gathered her into his arms. He held her so tight that if she had still been only mortal flesh she would have been pained, but she only rested her hands on his shoulders and clenched them in his shirt.

When they finally parted she led him to the stone where her orchids lay dead.

 _It's a grave. To our parents and our siblings. Perhaps to myself as well. Whatever he is, he still had enough decency to make himself remember us._ She knelt and ripped a fistful of vines away. Daniel winced and had to remind himself that the plants were dead already.

She tapped the script that was carved into the rock. _Our names._ It had been there all along, the hints to this tragic, horrible tale, if only Daniel had had the sense to notice them.

She looked at him through her eyelashes. _You didn't want to see it. It is understandable._

"But not forgivable." He sank beside her on the ground and took her hand. "Can you not…speak to me? I want to hear your voice."

Frustration and pain shot through their mental link. She shook her head and tried to pull her hand back, but Daniel held tight. "I am sorry. I thought…you were getting better."

A small smile shadowed the corner of her lips, so much like her brother's it hurt his heart _. I am trying. It is proving more difficult than I first thought._

"Will you…Will you one day…?"

She shrugged.

Daniel decided that a change in subject was called for. "Have you been in the castle this whole time?"

 _Off and on. I know all her hidden ways. It's child's play for me to come and go as I please and to remain hidden if that is what I wish._ Daniel had to smile at the smugness that tinged her mental voice.

He wet his lips, hesitant to broach the subject that had been foremost in his thoughts since that fateful dream.

"Maria, I cannot stay here anymore."

 _I know_. An image flashed through his mind of the horse in the stables saddled with the bags he had packed before Rosyth's return. Relief flooded through him and drained him at once. He had finally made a decision. And God did it hurt. He rested his cheek against Maria's thin shoulder and let her stroke his hair until his trembling stilled.

* * *

 _You're being an idiot_ , she thought-snarled at him as she followed him through the halls.

Daniel pushed her thoughts away and sent a silent request for her to wait for him in the stables. He had to do this, he owed Rosyth this much. No matter what atrocities the man had done before him and then in his name after they had met, he had treated Daniel kindly. This Daniel at least. Daniel drew in an unsteady breath and squared his shoulders _. I think this might very well be the bravest thing I have ever done_ , he thought as he pushed open the door to the workshop.

Rosyth was waiting for him, standing in the middle of the room, hands clenched tightly behind his back. His features were schooled into something blank and polite. Daniel shrank away, almost bolted back down the hall.

"You don't take the coward's way out anymore, Daniel," Rosyth reminded, his voice soft.

Daniel straightened and stepped into the room. " _I_ have never been a coward."

Was that the slightest flinch in Rosyth's straight posture? "As you say." He inclined his head slightly as if to encourage Daniel to say what he had come to say. Uneasy again, Daniel took a step further into the room.

"I am leaving," he blurted out and winced at the harshness of it. It was not what he had rehearsed in his mind as he made his way up the stairs.

"I know." Rosyth's expression did not change.

"Oh. What?"

Rosyth sighed and tapped his temple. "We're bonded, you idiot. I know when you are upset; I know when you are troubled."

 _And you never thought to talk to me about it?_ Daniel bit his tongue to keep the angry words inside, then realized that Rosyth could probably read them in his mind. "Good. Then this is no surprise." He nodded awkwardly and turned to leave.

Rosyth made a small sound, it was a strangled cross between amusement and outrage. "That's it? You come to say you are leaving and then you expect to leave just like that?"

Daniel turned to face him again. "What more is there to say?"

"No."

"No?"

"No, you can't leave. I won't let you."

"Oh." Daniel blinked at him. He had truly not expected Rosyth to fight and he had to quell the small spark of joy that ignited within him. "What do you propose to do about it?"

"Stop you. I will erase your signature on the security system so you can no longer shut down the electricity in the entrance hall. If I have to resort to more drastic measure, don't doubt for a moment that I will."

"Drastic measures? Are you hinting that would chain me in the dungeons?"

Rosyth clucked his tongue. Daniel shuddered, remembering. Would Rosyth truly resort to that? Treating the one thing he proclaimed to love as he had his victims before their slaughter?

"You cannot keep me here. What would you have to gain by it? Why would you even want me here now that I…" _Now that I no longer love you_. His eyes stung and he had to shut them, will away the sudden pain that seized him.

"Daniel, you are being unreasonable." He heard Rosyth approach. He opened his eyes and drew back.

"I? Unreasonable?" A nervous laugh erupted from him. "If I had known what your true nature was, what you were capable of, I would never have-"

"Taken me to bed?" This close Daniel could see the cracks in Rosyth's mask, could see the fury that was brewing within him. "You forgave me, Daniel. Did you forget that? I laid my crimes at your feet and you took me back. You knew I was a murderer, knew what I had done for you and still you condescended to twine around me."

"This crime is different. This is worse."

"How?" Rosyth grabbed his shoulders and shook him. "It happened before we met, before you were even born, to people you have never met. What does it matter? If you forgave me the crimes I did as Alexander, how can you not do the same for this?"

Daniel tried to pull free, but Rosyth jerked him forward and against him. "Please, do not make me-," Daniel began.

"You had the gall to think you could leave me; you should have the courtesy at least to tell me why." It was said between clenched teeth. Fingers clenched in Daniel's hair and pulled his head back so he had to meet Rosyth's eyes.

"I thought it was I who had made you a monster. The sins you committed as Alexander, I thought I was the sole cause and if I was the reason for your sins then I would be more monstrous than you if I…if I then refused you, refused to accept the part I played, but…"

"Daniel, it was all for you. Every throat slit, every scream uttered in that hell, all of it was a sacrifice to you. Would you let that bloodshed be in vain?" Rosyth softened his tone, let it creep into something coaxing.

It sounded so much like Alexander that Daniel felt bile rise in his throat. "I have come to realize that I owe you nothing. What you are, it was no fault of mine. You were already a monster from the beginning." Pain shot through the back of his skull and a burst of stars flitted across his vision. Rosyth no longer had a hold of him and that his back was now against the wall. He raised a hand to his head and his fingers drew back wet: blood. Rosyth had thrown him against the wall.

"You will not leave me. You may have forgotten your love of me, but I still love you. I'll _make_ you remember it." Rosyth stabbed a finger at him-just one finger, Daniel noted.

"And do I not deserve happiness? I can no longer be happy with you, Alexander!"

Rosyth drew in a sharp breath. Daniel did not care for the flush that suddenly stained his cheeks or the way he shook with rage. He could do a lot worse to Daniel than push him away; Daniel had seen what he was capable of and his imagination played a hundred scenarios of what Alexander could do to him to keep him here, to keep him his. For the first time Daniel was truly afraid of his lover.

Rosyth dropped his eyes and tried to speak calmly. "You are upset. You had a shock. You will stay here until you have calmed down and-"

"And we go back to play acting that we are happy? That Brennenburg never happened? That you never slaughtered your family and defiled your sister with your accursed sciences?" Daniel's laugh was hysterical. "I cannot do that, not anymore. I no longer lo-"

"That is a lie! My bitch of a sister turned you against me! You're weak and easily manipulated-"

"And no one would know that better than you!" Daniel fumbled for the door behind him. "I am leaving. You can try to stop me, but even if you do succeed, what you want to reclaim," Daniel shook his head, "it is no longer within me to give you. You have killed it."

"Daniel…"

The door sprang open behind Daniel and he almost tumbled through it. Strong hands on his shoulders kept him balanced and then he was being shoved behind the black garbed figure of Maria. She turned her back to her brother and gingerly touched the wound on the back of Daniel's head.

"I am fine." Daniel's voice shook when he said it though. She stared down at his blood on her hand, fingers rubbing at it, a slight frown on her face as if puzzled.

" _You_." There were too many emotions in Rosyth's voice to identify any given one. "I thought you'd have the sense to abandon-"

Maria tilted her head the slightest degree so she could look behind her at her brother. Daniel could not see the expression in her eyes, but it must have been terrible for Rosyth actually stumbled back from her.

"Haven't you ruined my life enough? I-" He didn't finish his sentence as Maria suddenly launched herself at him.

Daniel had seen her fight before, had seen the beauty and deadly grace she had. Those skills were forgotten in the face of her rage at her brother, at the years it had festered half-remembered in her servitude. The siblings rolled over each other on the floor, clawing and snarling at each other, nothing of strategy to their struggle, only a blind and horrible anger.

Daniel edged around them, picked up a mallet from the table, and held it before him. He was suddenly at a loss as to what to do with it. He had just decided to throw it into the fray and hope it accomplished something when Maria's mental cry of triumph blinded him and there was a sickening cracking sound. Silence fell.

He dropped the mallet and ran to them, sliding down on his knees and scrabbling at Rosyth's still form, fingers fumbling for his pulse. "Did you kill him?" He could not keep the anger, the accusation from his voice. Trembling, he raised Rosyth's head and put it in his lap, stroked back the white hair. He was crying, he was damning himself, crying for a man who had murdered countless, but he could not stop himself. "Oh, you have killed him!" He clawed at his own arms, his hair in his agony. The slap across his face brought him back to himself. He stared up at Maria in shock.

 _He's not dead, only unconscious._ She grabbed Daniel's hand and thrust his fingers more firmly against Rosyth's throat. There it was, the steady pulse of life. Daniel gave a small cry of relief, and then drew back as Maria raised her hand as if to slap him again.

She sighed and let it fall. She studied Daniel for a long moment as if trying to decide whether to be disgusted with him or not. _Love is a terrible, ugly thing. It will be forever beyond my understanding_.

"I no longer love him." Even he could tell his words sounded hollow.

She snorted and rose. _I was not talking only of you and my brother_. She offered him her hand. _Stay or go, it is your choice and I will still love you no matter what you choose._ Such sad resignation in her tone. Daniel was suddenly ashamed. She loved him still, even though she knew he still wanted her brother, her murderer. Daniel took her hand. He might not be able to kill this ruinous love, but he could make sure that it never harmed anyone else ever again in its name. "I will go with you."

* * *

Daniel knew Maria was a meticulous planner through the memories she had shared with him and by how she had taken care of him and their home in Rosyth's absence. It still shocked him when she rode their lone steed through the desert for hours before stopping at a cave half concealed by a large outcrop of rock and Mer'rok came out to greet them. Daniel's little Maria had been busy when she had been hidden away from his sight. He wondered how on earth she could have sent word to Mer'rok-seeing as his race was immune to telepathy-then realized that even though she was mute, she still had use of her hands and her faculties; she probably had written him a message.

 _How did you ever send it though_ , he thought at her as she dismounted.

Raising an elegant eyebrow at him, she looked up to the sky and released a piercing whistle. Presently a bird appeared, spiraling lazily down to them. When it would perch on her hand, she waved it back to the heavens and with an indignant squack it left them.

"You are an impressive woman, Maria."

"And you would be getting no nay-saying from me on the subject," Mer'rok said hoisting Daniel out of the saddle. It was Daniel's turn to give his own indignant cry. "To say I was surprised to receive your message, lady, would be an understatement. The contents seemed to promise some small merriment, which is why you find me here. Well, that and Mum would kill me if any harm were to befall her little pet." He chucked Daniel under the chin and laughed as Daniel batted his hand away. Maria rolled her eyes and began to unpack the saddlebags.

"Will we not be followed?" Daniel asked, looking back at their tracks with worry. And a small thrill of hope. _Find me, grovel before me, beg me to come back_ … He shook himself, sickened.

"Mark the sun." Mer'rok pointed at it and then gestured to their tracks. The wind was picking up Daniel noted, blowing the sands about, smoothing them. "This time of year they always come near dusk. There is a lovely little tale about why that is so. Perhaps you would hear it after we sup."

 _Besides, we've taken his only horse,_ Maria drily added.

The cave was large enough to tuck both their beast and Mer'rok's in the entrance before they made their way towards the back. Mer'rok already had made a small fire, the smoke of it stinging Daniel's eyes. He chose not to complain though; better a constant cough than freezing to death.

After dinner Daniel found himself in no mood for tales. That did not stop Mer'rok from animatedly recounting a personal adventure of his own to an indulgent Maria. Daniel left them to walk to the entrance for a few moments of solitude. His steed whickered in greeting and Daniel buried his face in its warm neck. "You poor thing, we used you so hard today." As if understanding him, it gave a huff that made Daniel chuckle in spite of himself. "You great brute of a thing. I shall spoil you rotten when we get to…wherever we are going." It occurred to him then that he had no idea what was to become of him.

He had never left the keep before without the intent of coming back to it. Even when he had planned to leave it in Rosyth's exile he had never actually thought it possible that he could. The feeling that the future was vast and unknown fell upon him.

_Danny._

He ignored her at first, drawing in deep breaths that reeked of horse sweat and rubbed his cheek against the solid flesh of the beast until his breathing slowed. Then he turned to her. "Were you reading my thoughts, Maria?"

He was surprised that she looked slightly embarrassed. "Do not fret so. I should be used to not having any privacy."

_You don't have to worry about the future so, Danny. Bel'rok will be ecstatic to have you in her clan, and I will be with you. I shall take care of you._

"So I shall trade one sibling for the other to be my keeper? Am I so inept that I cannot ever be the master of my own life?"

She reeled back as if he had slapped her.

"Oh Maria, I do apologize. I am just… It was the only place I could truly remember, the only place I have ever called home. This is hard, this…hurts. But I should never have lashed out at you, I am-" She stepped back from his hand.

It was a rebuke well earned. She walked past him and stared up at the stars. _You will miss him, won't you? Some part of you will always pine for that…thing._

Daniel sighed. "I probably will always miss him, or at least the him I thought he was. It feels as if a limb of mine has been severed." _But sometimes to save a life one must cut off an appendage that has become septic. It is that or die._

 _You wouldn't have died if you had stayed behind. He never would have killed_ you _._

Daniel flinched. "It would have been like death. A living death. Maybe I cannot stop loving him, but what he has done… I can no longer look at him and not see it."

 _I should have never shared my past with you._ Her shoulders slumped.

"You very well should have! Whatever wrongs have been done, you are not to be blamed for them." He bit his lip. "In all honesty, it was going sour before you came back to me. In my past, before I was me and then after I was, he…hurt me. He did things, such terrible terrible things. I told him I had forgiven him, but…" Daniel shook his head. "I think it was festering within me, I think I would be exactly here one day regardless of my learning your tale or not."

 _I've looked at your memories, Danny. I know what he did to you._ She hesitated. _And you never said you forgave him. He said that you had, but never you did._ The look she gave him was approving.

"Oh, Maria." Daniel rested his chin on her shoulder and this time she did not pull away from his touch.

"I leave to relieve myself and come back to see you have started the-" Mer'rok said a word that Daniel did not know,-without me! Maria punched his arm, hard enough to make him grunt in pain, but she smiled as she did it.

* * *

To say Bel'rok was ecstatic to have him in her clan was an understatement. As soon as they came into the encampment she was striding from her caravan to scoop Daniel up in a bone bruising embrace. "I had hoped this day would come. I prayed for it," she whispered.

"Bel'rok, really!" Daniel laughed, uncomfortable at the sudden physical display.

"You have no idea how I've worried for you, little one. How many sleepless nights I've fretted over you alone in that keep with that-" She cut herself off as she caught sight of Maria. "Mer'rok," her voice more command than question.

"They travel as a team, Mum. You should have expected it. Besides, we can now boast that we have a lady in our company. A lady and a former rebel." He grinned at the sharp look Maria threw him.

"What? No, he wouldn't. Not even he would have…" She grabbed Maria's chin and jerked her around to meet her eyes. Maria's reaction was immediate and painful. Bel'rok sucked her teeth as she rubbed at the red mark blossoming on her hand.

"Really, Mum. Have some common sense."

Bel'rok glared at her son and then turned it to Daniel. "I thought you said you had no stomach to have the dead at your side anymore."

"She is not like the servants. Her name is Maria and she is my friend. If it bothers you to travel with her, we can leave."

"Don't be a damned fool boy; of course you may stay. And with your little witch."

"Lady, Mum. Our little lady."

"She's not anymore. She's nothing anymore."

Maria bristled. Kneeling she began to scribble furiously in the sand. Daniel could not decipher all she was writing, but he could tell by the rising color in Bel'rok's face that it was not very lady-like.

"She's not like the servants," she finally said at last.

Mer'rok sighed, exasperated. "What we've been trying to tell you, Mum."

"What in the hells are you?" It was the first time she had addressed Maria directly.

Maria met her eyes and clicked her tongue.

* * *

 

Bel'rok had given them a caravan of their own. She beamed at Daniel's pleasure in it and the gift of tools she had littered it with. She was abundantly clear about what role Daniel would play in her clan and Daniel was only too glad to accept.

With some arguing a second pallet was dragged into the small room for Maria. "I must admit that it seems unseemly that we share quarters," Daniel admitted, not meeting Maria's eyes.

_They will not give me my own wheeled-house and I will rest better knowing if you need me, I am near._

"But propriety-"

 _Can be hanged!_ So saying she stalked off, bringing the discussion to an irrevocable end.

Daniel took to the nomadic life far better than he had thought he would. There were always projects to work on, people to talk to, and things to explore. Mer'rok stayed with the caravan, much to Bel'rok's ill-concealed surprise. He took pleasure in dragging Daniel and Maria off to show them ruins on the route and Daniel felt the brewings of a new book within him.

Maria had taken to wrapping a shawl around her head and Daniel wondered if she were being teased because of her appearance. When he broached the subject with Mer'rok, the man doubled over with laughter. "That one would not care a whit what others thought of her." He glanced at Maria, sitting by herself and studying the desert. "I will admit that I have noticed that she is heart sick. Perhaps I can talk to her."

Daniel huffed. If she would not talk to him, what hope would Mer'rok have?

* * *

Mer'rok found a wig in one of the store carts and made Maria a present of it. Her delighted laughter rang through the caravan, causing everyone to stare at her in shock. It was the first time she had uttered a sound since she had arrived.

_Tell him it is absolutely hideous! I can't wear that!_

Daniel relayed the message. Mer'rok smiled. "How can you tell if you don't try it on?" Not giving her time to refuse, he snatched off her shawl and placed the black mass on her head.

 _It itches!_ But she let him lead her to a mirror. Her expression when she saw herself…Daniel thought for a moment she might cry, and then wondered if she was capable of it anymore. She reached up with trembling hands and smoothed the hair down, arranging the curls to better hang around her sharp face. _I never liked my hair white. Everyone has white hair; it's so dull._ She turned her head, studying herself from different angles. _  
_

"You look like a princess," Mer'rok murmured putting a hand on her shoulder.

 _You look…alive_ , Daniel thought. He felt left out of something and the flood of loneliness drove him back to his caravan to work, leaving Maria to be entranced by her reflection.

* * *

Daniel rolled over and saw that the other pallet was empty. Again. She was off with Mer'rok once more. The two had taken to holding long conversations by the fires at night; Mer'rok's voice a throaty murmur and Maria's fingers furiously responding to him, lines and lines of her words in the sand. Daniel let them have their time together, but he could not help the worm of jealousy in his breast. He had not traded one keeper for another after all. He had traded a keeper for his freedom and it was…He didn't know what it was.

He sighed and kicked off his covers. Sleep would not come to him until she was back. He had never liked sleeping alone.

He pocketed a fruit on his way out and walked barefoot to where the animals were kept. As he thought, Maria and Mer'rok were hunched together. She seemed agitated, waving her hands about and gesturing down at the sand. Mer'rok tsked, "But you don't even have a voice anymore in which to inspire. I am not saying it's not a noble pursuit, but perhaps it is no longer your duty to…" The rest was lost as Daniel drew too far to make out the words.

Aeneus whickered as Daniel approached, shouldering the other beasts aside to reach his master. Daniel was ashamed that it had taken him so long to name the brute. "Here I am. Did you miss me?" A nip on his cheek was his answer. Daniel laughed and offered the strange blue fruit as an apology. It was readily accepted and Daniel was allowed to rest his face in the curve of the creature's shoulder.

He tried not to think of Rosyth, but the more he tried not to, the sharper the memories were: the way his embrace felt, his smell, the faint laugh lines around his breathtaking eyes…The smell of carrion, the howl of the shadow, the whimpers of a young girl dying afraid in the dark. Daniel drew away.

_You miss him still._

"Do you hate me for it?"

 _I could never hate you._ She offered her hand to Aeneus. He snuffled at her palm, and then turned back to the herd when he realized she had nothing to give him.

"What do you and Mer'rok talk of so late into the night?" She had her wig on again; she was want to be seen without it these days.

_Many things. You could always join us, you know._

"You would change the subject as soon as I sat down."

 _We would._ She looked up at the stars and then seemed to decide upon something. _We talk of my past, of the dreams I once had, of my…guilt. It eases me somewhat._

"You could always talk to me of it!"

She looked at him sadly. _I do not wish to burden you more than you are._

"Are you saying I have enough of my own guilt to bear, that I do not need yours as well?"

_You bear yours and the man you were born of. And my brother's as well. You have enough._

"Maria, we are friends! This is not how friends treat one another. Do not shut me away from your life, from your pain." He tentatively placed a hand on her arm. "Tell me. What could you possibly feel guilty about?"

_My brother, you, your loneliness. It was selfish of me to steal you away. Horrible creatures, my brother and I._

"Maria! How could you ever think that? What happened between your brother and I… You were blameless. It was a long time in coming. It had started even before we met, even before I existed."

 _But I_ am _to blame, maybe not for the turn of events that transpired off of this world, but for the events that led up to it, for the climate they brewed in. Once I set out to change the world and then…I stopped._

"You could not have done anything differently. You were leading a rebellion and were betrayed by your own brother! How could you ever have-"

_I should have. I was blinded by my…by my want of affection, my misplaced faith. People died because of me. People are still dying because of me._

"I do not know what to say to ease you, but I think I am a living testament that it is never too late to atone for things. Sometimes life gives you unexpected second chances."

 _I thought so too. Mer'rok is trying to convince me otherwise though._ A bitter laugh sounded in Daniel's mind. It took him a moment to catch her meaning.

He had to bite his lip to keep back his cry of alarm. No, she couldn't be considering… Re-considering… It was too dangerous! It had already killed her once! Would she really be so selfish as to leave him alone in the worlds while she…while she fought for the betterment of her people? He sighed.

"If you feel you cannot do what you feel you must due to some loyalty to me, please know that you are in no way beholden to me. I am safe here and all I will ever want is for you to be content."

She looked up at him, her eyes sharp. _You would not be able to follow me where I fear I must go._

"I know. Just…do what you must to be at peace. I know how terrible that feels, guilt. How it eats you from within. Do what you must…Sister."

 _Oh, Danny._ The women in his life certainly knew how to firmly embrace a person, he thought wryly. When he had his breath back he held her at arms' length.

"Just promise to try to be safe."

_I won't promise that. But this conversation might be entirely moot. Mer'rok has valid points. I am…broken. Who would ever follow a leader into a rebellion who is little more than a freakish doll?_

"Why would they not, Maria? You came back from the dead! If anyone were to have savior written all over them, I would say it was you. And you grow better every day, more and more like your self of old. Just give it time. Come now, it is time we were to bed. We will talk more on this with Mer'rok on the morrow."

She followed behind him, lost in her thoughts. One long finger scratched down the column of her throat and she cocked her head to the side as if she suddenly had thought of something, but when Daniel asked she told him it was nothing.

* * *

Daniel shot upright, his breath coming in fast gasps. Had he had a nightmare? He did not remember dreaming… He looked around him, fearing that they had been discovered by either Rosyth or the emperor. But no, the camp was quiet. He looked over at Maria's pallet, expecting to find it empty again. It was not.

She must have made some cry that has roused him from his sleep. She had one hand raised before her, studying the dark liquid that ran down her hand and along her arm. Daniel grabbed the shirt he had discarded before bed and wrapped it tightly around her hand. "What in heaven's name happened?"

 _It hurt. I hadn't expected it to._ She pressed the fingers of her other hand against her throat; a jagged slash ripped across it, just above her collarbones. _Mer'rok made it seem so easy…Perhaps you could fetch him for me?_

Daniel gaped at her and then took off, screaming Mer'rok's name.

Mer'rok obviously could not make out what Daniel was talking about expect that he was upset and it concerned Maria. He followed Daniel back to their caravan and stopped dead in the doorway. Maria had Daniel's shirt pressed against her throat now and on the floor were sentences written in her own blood. She nodded at them and Mer'rok let out a string of expletives that had Daniel cringing.

"You should not talk to a woman-"

"The damn fool bitch was trying to do surgery on herself!" Mer'rok's expression was thunderous.

"She said you made it seem easy," Daniel supplied weakly. "Why would she…Why would you need surgery, Maria?"

She shook her head and Daniel made a sound of alarm when her fingers slipped, letting a stream of blood flow down her chest. She pointed at the words she had written.

"The…I don't know that word. The something of the servants?"

"Remember the symbols that were placed in the servants of your keep? To animate them? She's convinced that she has one in her and just thought she'd go rummaging around in herself." He added under his breath, "Idiot."

"Maria, so what if you do? If you take it out you will die surely, just as the others!"

 _Not the same as them._ Her mental voice was weak _. I can't be. It wouldn't be a cruel enough punishment. This has to be the reason I am not getting better now that my mind is my own! Why I am still…different. I have enough of myself to remember what I was but not enough to_ be _myself again!_ She pounded the floor with her fist.

"And you didn't think to come ask me to help you?" Mer'rok asked. His voice was soft, but Daniel heard the tremble in it. It was the first time he had seen the jolly merchant angry.

She shrugged. I _didn't want to bother him?_

"I am not translating that. You should know it for a terrible excuse."

 _I was afraid he would refuse. That he would feel as you do, that it could risk unanimating me._ Daniel did relay that, to which Mer'rok sniffed.

"You know I feel that never truly died, my dear. Not strictly speaking, at least. Even if it doesn't kill you, you could get infection-" She growled and thrust the knife at her side at him.

_Tell him to do it then! I'll take the risk._

"Do not…" But Mer'rok was already kneeling beside her and taking the knife. Her hands clenched over his and drew him to her until the point of the dagger was resting against her breast.

_Fix me!_

Mer'rok sighed. "Don't say I didn't try to warn. Dani'el, go find Mum and tell her to bring her flask. That is the best disinfectant we have in these parts, so don't go saying this was entirely barbaric."

Maria bade Daniel to leave when he returned, tried to push him away, but he stayed to hold her hand. It hurt her and it hurt him to see her hurt. It felt like hours of Mer'rok gently rooting around with the point of his knife and probing with his fingers. At long last, he pulled out a small tile and snapped it in half.

"Gods, if I ever have to do something like that again…" He wiped the sweat from his brow.

Daniel helped Maria sit up. "Are you well?"

She touched the bandages wound around her neck and cocked her head to the side. A small smile began to bloom on her colorless lips. "That's…better."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 34, in which Daniel is a mess and Maria is overly hard-core... This chapter probably could have been better, but it's been months since I've posted something new, and I just needed to get it up. Thank you everyone who has continued to read and comment on this story despite the lack of updates! And thanks to everyone who has written me to see how I was doing. I am very sorry for the long hiatus. It was very unexpected on my part. First it was a move from one country to another that ate my life and then I got hideously ill. Again. I am so sick of being sick. I am finally shaking that off (It only took me a month to get better _), but I am afraid I still can't promise weekly updates like I used to be able to. I will try to be more prompt with the new chapters though. It really was inexcusable on my part. Thank you again for your continued support!


	35. Chapter 35

If rebellion was being planned, it was kept well away from Daniel. Life in the merchant clan seemed to pass as it had always done. Maria's miraculous return of her voice did not receive more than a raised eyebrow, though Bel'rok's mood toward her did seem to soften now that she was not such an eldritch thing. Before Daniel and Maria had taken their meals alone by a small fire built in front of their home sometimes joined by Mel'rok; now it was the norm to be called over to the big fire by Bel'rok's caravan to join in with the boisterous crowd that attended her in the nights.

Daniel still found himself shy among the big merchants with their hearty voices and their good cheer. He had grown too used to silence and the soft voices in which Rosyth and he had oft conversed in. He let the conversations flow over him like waves on a beach, too overwhelmed to make sense of it all let alone add to it. Maria, on the other hand would break into the melee on occasion to make some quick witted comment or a sharp joke that was always followed by stunned quiet than a roar of approval. Daniel pretended that he did not notice the small smile that graced her face at these moments. She was enjoying being accepted, being a person again, and Daniel's heart soared with hers though a small part of him would always remain jealous.

"Honestly I thought you would be off as soon as your wound healed," Daniel remarked one day over lunch. Lunch was still a quiet affair; Bel'rok's troop let Maria and Daniel have it to themselves and Daniel hoarded the time alone with her. Too soon she would be gone from him and who knew if she would return…

"I am not quite healed yet," she said touching the gauze that still adorned her throat. Her voice fell on the ear as soft as smoke, but for all its softness, it held command in it. A murmur from her and the crowd of merchants would fall silent, would strain to hear her words.

"When do you think we- I mean you- will be ready for…whatever it is you are readying for?"

Maria looked amused, her black eyes glinting. Daniel had wondered if her eyes would fade to gold, but black they remained. Perhaps they would always be a gruesome reminder to her of what she had endured.

"One does not just rush headlong into a war, Danny. Did you think I could really just ride into a village, give a call to arms, and have followers?"

"Then what are you to do then?"

"A war needs advisors. I am waiting for two of them."

Daniel blinked. "You never told me you sent a summons to anyone!"

"Perhaps I wanted it to be a surprise." She smiled at him, her teeth slightly pointed. She brought to mind the image of a big cat, at turns wise beyond years and then playful as a child.

 _Maria,_ Daniel chided. She ignored him, spooning stew into her mouth, pretending to eat though Daniel was sure she almost had no need of it.

The caravan camped by a small village on the outskirts of the Waste. Daniel could not stop himself from stooping down and running his hand through the short grass every few steps. It is funny what one does not even know one misses until it is there again, he mused. When he straightened, Bel'rok was at his elbow and Daniel could not repress jumping. For such a large woman, she moved as silent as a shadow.

"Will you open your caravan to the townsfolk? Several of the houses have small machines they wish mended."

"They will bring them to me directly?" Daniel's face blanched.

Bel'rok chuckled. "They speak the Trade Tongue. You'll be fine. They also know what they should pay you. Just take what they offer; it's already been cleared through me. If someone comes who wants you to look at a bigger machine in their home, tell them to wait until tomorrow. I'll send an escort to accompany you."

"I have Maria."

"And your Maria's face was once very well known. She was a hero before she was infamous and her infamy gave her yet more recognition. Have you not wondered why she goes about with the shawl over her hair and face when we near a settlement?"

"I thought the sun was bothering her or the sand," Daniel mumbled feeling stupid.

Bel'rok laughed and thumped him on the back. "You do beg to be taken care of!" She walked away shaking her head, still chuckling to herself.

Daniel entered his caravan as soon as the clan drew up into their positions to receive visitors: an inviting semi-circle, the curve facing the village. He straightened the place up as best he could and then, after thinking a moment, lowered the workbench from the wall and scattered some tools across it. It would be best to appear as if he knew what he was doing, he thought.

He opened his door and took a seat, squirming. The knock on the doorway made him jump, his startlement then making him flush. He was still terrible at first impressions...

"Enter," he called out in the merchants' language, pleased that his voice came out a bit husky and not as a squeak.

A woman of Rosyth's people, the Nel'rum as the merchants called them, entered. She was not dressed as the people in the capital were or even how Rosyth had dressed himself and Daniel. Her clothing was practical, a dingy grey in color and well taken care of despite how threadbare it was in places. Her hair fell in a tangled mass down to her waist and on her hip she jiggled a child of no more than two years of age.

"You are the tinker?" She asked, appearing frazzled.

"I…I am."

"Thank the Dread Ones. My baby broke his favorite toy, a small contraption my mate brought back from her journey Off World. I am going mad! He cries for it every damned day and every damned night!" As if on cue, the child roused and set off snuffling and sobbing, globular tears trailing down its chubby cheeks. The woman made soothing noises and increased the ferocity of her rocking.

Daniel had to bite his cheek not to smile. "If I can fix it, I will. May I see it?"

"Certainly! Is it safe if I…?" She gestured at the child and then at the floor.

"It is clean and nothing dangerous is within reach of him."

The baby was promptly placed on the floor and given a round sweet which it sucked upon, still sniffling with tears in its eyes.

"How sweet he is," Daniel murmured.

The woman rolled her eyes. "You wouldn't think so after not sleeping for a week! My mate is supposed to help out more, but she's always getting called away on business… The next one we have I shall insist on working and she'll be the one at home caring for it!"

Daniel smiled, at a loss as to what she meant.

After rummaging in her pockets, the woman produced a small, metal object and placed it on the table. Daniel sucked in a sharp breath.

"What is it?" the woman asked.

Daniel shook himself. "Nothing," he said in a trembling voice. "Nothing at all." He picked it up and turned it over in his hands. He pressed the hidden button that sprang open the 'wings' to reveal the cogs and gears inside. He drew the tools he would need closer to him and placed the strap of the magnifying glass around his head and lowered the glass into place over his eye. The baby looked up and laughed at it, the innocent sound bringing a smile to Daniel's face. "I suppose I do look silly in this," he said.

One of the cogs had become dented and tangled with one of the thin wires that ran around the toy. Daniel carefully pried it out and began to untangle it. "I am sorry for my reaction before," he said to the woman who was keeping her child away from the open door by placing her foot on the hem of its gown. "This…toy…My spouse presented me with something similar when I first came to this world. I had never seen anything its like on my world and it had delighted me. Seeing something its kin again…it brought me back to that moment."

Silence fell around them and Daniel could feel the woman's gaze on him. "I could feel you are bonded to one of the Kin. But your mate doesn't travel with you." It wasn't a question.

"I…Things happened."

She clucked her tongue and let the matter drop. "So are you from the colonies? Originally that is. I do not think I have seen any of your race before, forgive the rudeness."

Daniel almost laughed. Apparently the arrogance of the capital did not extend to the outlier settlements. "It is not rude at all. My world was not from any of the colonies."

"I am from the colonies. I was born there, it was all I had ever known until I was bonded and moved…here." She gave a weak wave around. "I miss my home. I hope we can arrange to get transferred back one day." She fell quiet again, studying Daniel who was now carefully trying to beat the dent back into shape. "Are you a war prize? Were, I guess I should say if you are bonded now."

Daniel felt himself blush. "Um…I do not know if that would be correct to say so. I did not come to this world willingly, but I came to my…mate of my own free will."

"Huh." The woman sat back, her expression intrigued. She clearly wanted to hear more of his story, but Daniel was quick to twine the wire back into its rightful place and to pop the cog back. With a flourish he closed the 'wings' and dropped to his knees beside the child.

"Let us see if this works now," he said, holding it out. The child's eyes immediately fastened upon it, the tears forgotten for the moment. Daniel pressed down just right on it and let it go. It jumped around on the floor for a bit and then sprang up into the air, flying a lazy circle around the room before landing in the child's upraised hand. The baby crooned its delight and the woman clapped her hands.

"Oh thank you! You are well worth the price the merchant-lady named!"

"I just hope that you will have a decent night's rest tonight," Daniel said humbly, trying not to look at the amount of money she left on the table.

He stood to see them out. She paused at the door and gripped his arm. "I hope… Whatever happened between you and your mate, I hope it mends." She took a step and looked back at him. "Though that being said, if it is better broken, I hope you can come to good terms with it." She flushed then and seemed to be internally berating herself. "I wish you peace, is what I meant. You seem a gentle soul. You should not be troubled so."

"I have been troubled all my life, my lady. If I were at peace, I fear I would not know what to do with myself," he said it with a smile and when she turned to look back at him one last time, he bowed to her. She made the curious salute her people often gave and left him then. The exchange had lifted something within Daniel, and he settled back into his place, almost eager for the next customer.

The third day camped in front of the small village at the edge of the world and the camp began to shift its feet; it was almost time to move on again. Daniel was surprised that he had made almost-friends at this stop. The woman with the child-Daniel could only pronounce the Alyss part of her name, but she did not seem to mind- and a humanoid creature that appeared to be part lizard named Trague made it a habit to stop in everyday to chat with him. Alyss brought sweet pastries that she had made herself. Cooking for oneself was seen as common, she had told him, but she loved it, so others could go hang themselves. Trague would bring a sweet, almost honey, tasting liquor that Daniel had to sip sparingly for it was deceivingly strong. Both Alyss and Trague were content to chat about their lives and gossip and were pleased with Daniel's company even though he hardly shared much of himself.

"Is that wise?" Daniel had heard Mel'rok mutter to his mother when he thought Daniel was distracted.

"Maybe not. But if we kept him shut up in his cart and allowed no one near him, we'd be no better than the lordling."

"The lordling is why I question the wisdom of this. Our Dani'el sticks out, Mum, even among those who are Off World."

"Those eyes," she said in agreement. "And again I say, perhaps it is not wise, but so what? If we are followed here and these villagers questioned they may answer as they choose. We are not easy to track, so pursuit from here is unlikely. So what if they learn that an Off Worlder with green eyes stopped here for a time? It will do them no good."

Mel'rok snorted, not pleased entirely with the answer. Daniel looked over his shoulder and met Bel'rok's eyes. He gave her a thankful smile.

That evening two riders were spotted cresting one of the dunes and making their way to the village. The tension in the caravan was palpable and without a word spoken, children were placed indoors and the goods carts were moved to encircle the ones that housed the little ones. Maria had quickly fetched Aeneus and mounted him, riding out from safety. Daniel followed her on foot, eluding Mel'rok's quick grab for him.

If she minded his company she gave no word. She stood in her stirrups and shaded her eyes with one hand. A gleeful smile than spread across her face and she sat back down in the saddle. "Come, get on behind me." She loosed one foot from her stirrup and gestured for Daniel to step on it to help him mount. He hesitated and then did as he was bade. Scarce was he settled behind her, when she kicked Aeneus into a gallop and urged him to intercept the two dots on the horizon.

"And who do we go to meet?" Daniel asked, his heart both soaring and plummeting, a curious feeling.

"Friends, Danny. My oldest and perhaps your oldest too." She made a curious cry that seemed to echo around them. Its match was made by one of the riders and they too seemed to spur their mounds forward to meet them in haste.

Daniel could not see very well, the sand stung his eyes, the fault of the rising evening wind and their own pace. He did not see who the visitors were until they had pulled to a rough stop and Maria all but leapt from her saddle, leaving Daniel to make his own awkward way down.

A tall, lean woman ran forward and embraced Maria hard enough to make his friend give a wheeze.

"Daniel!"

Daniel started at his name. "It cannot be…Franmarrow? And Ke'thrala! What brings you here?"

"Much and I will explain, but can you hold this damned creature steady so I can get off of it?" Daniel hurried forward to hold the reins of the skittish beast. Ke'thrala chuckled as she watched her husband all but fall from his steed.

"It is his first time to ride." Her tone was teasing; Franmarrow did not even rise to the bait. He made a small noise that seemed to be in agreement and clasped Daniel hard on the shoulder.

"It is good to see you again, old friend. We were both so worried for you. First with you being all alone and then that mess with the emperor…"

"I thought you dead," Ke'thrala said to Maria. Her usual husky voice fell even deeper and Daniel realized that she was holding back tears. "He told everyone that you had…That your brother had executed you. You and your entire family. Even Hy'veltishaith had believed it."

"My brother did kill me. I was dead. For a long, long time I was dead."

Ke'thrala shook herself and her hair flew around her face-it was the first time Daniel had ever seen it loose. "But you aren't dead! You stand before me now. I can touch you." So saying she reached out and gently touched Maria's cheek. She shuddered but did not withdraw her hand. "But you are so cold, my dear."

"Perhaps she is a ghost! I hear they are very common Off World!" Franmarrow had the good grace to look slightly ashamed of himself at his wife's withering glare.

"She is no ghost. But the story is…complicated," Daniel interjected. "We should ride back to the camp. I will make dinner and we can…we can try to explain as best we can."

They did not remount, but chose to lead the beasts back at a walk. Franmarrow walked with Daniel and started to hum something cheery. Behind followed Ke'thrala and Maria. "Your eyes, my dear. Whatever happened to you? And that hair…is it a wig?"

"As Danny said, we will try to explain. Truth be told I do not even understand it all."

That night they were joined by Bel'rok and Mel'rok, and Daniel and Maria spun their tales. First Maria recounted the events leading to her death, Ke'thrala reaching forward to clutch her hand throughout it and Mel'rok leaning slightly into her so their arms touched. Then Daniel started. It began in a place called Brennenburg, about a man awaking with no memory to a nightmare and ended it almost the same way. Many was the time where his voice would break and he was afraid he could not go further, but Bel'rok's hand would close warm on his shoulder or Maria would gently brush his thoughts and he found the strength to continue. It was the first time he had told his tale out loud. It felt like a purging, like draining a wound that had become infected.

"That…" Ke'thrala leaned back.

"It is almost unbelievable." Franmarrow also leaned back and crossed his arms. "In fact if it wasn't you two telling it, I wouldn't believe it."

"Traveling through time and worlds. Curses and a ruined love," Mel'rok mused. "Someone really ought to make a ballad out of it!" Maria elbowed him in the ribs, but Daniel burst out laughing, his reaction surprising even himself.

"It would make a good song, I will admit that. But now I have some sympathy for the poor bastards in the tales we tell," Bel'rok said, her hand still upon Daniel. She turned her musing gaze to Maria. "But lass, I still don't understand how you are possible."

"I think maybe I do. A little at least." Daniel paused to gather his thoughts. "Remember the monstrosities I spoke of, the ones that pursued me when I first was born? Alex- I mean to say, Rosyth, was trying to recreate the undead servants of this world, but due to the inferior materials of my world and the way our magic works they came out…wrong, hideously different." Daniel stopped to judge that his words were being followed. After everyone had either nodded or made some gesture of understanding, he went on.

"The man I met in the depths-"

"The talking head?" Franmarrow asked, looking intrigued.

"Yes, Agrippa he was called. At one time he was Rosyth- I cannot say that name when I talk of that place, it will be Alexander from now. At one time he was Alexander's teacher in the ways of my world, of its magics. But Alexander felt that Agrippa was playing him for a fool-"

"But thought to keep him around in case that he wasn't," Maria finished.

"He killed Agrippa, but somehow, using magic and whatever science he could manage in such a place, he kept his soul in his body long after that body had quit."

"You think he did something similar to our friend." Bel'rok's eyes had not left Maria's. Maria inclined her head slightly. It was the first time Bel'rok had named her 'friend' and Daniel did not miss the small smile on Maria's face.

"Yes, but not as superior a job on poor Agrippa. Alexander could not preserve the body as well as his sister's and he could not as effectively bind the will. Agrippa was very much his own man when I first met him."

"And a very chatty one."

Ke'thrala elbowed Franmarrow. "As if you are one to criticize on chattiness!" That relieved the tension and everyone relaxed.

"I'll put on a kettle of Oo-luk." Bel'rok rose to her feet. "You young people have much to talk about, I am sure."

"You are always welcome to join us," Maria said.

"I'll come back with the kettle and I will leave you. I am too old for talk of wars."

"Too old for hope?" Maria countered.

Bel'rok snorted. "Perhaps not that very old then. Still I have no stomach for fighting when it's not brought to my door." She looked at Daniel considering.

"I will not be sent away as if I were a child!" He bristled.

"You shall not be," Ke'thrala soothed. "But…" Her eyes found Maria's, a question in them. There was a queer feeling in the air, and Daniel knew that some discussion was going on between their minds. Seemingly relieved, Ke'thrala settled back at her husband's side.

"You just told her that you will not let me ride with you when you leave on your quest." It was only half an accusation. Behind him Bel'rok let out a long breath. She had feared as well that Daniel would leave her safety and follow them. "I would go with you, you know that."

"And I thank you for it, but I would not be able to give my full attention to where it was needed if _…" I had to worry about you._

Daniel sighed. _I know. But I hate the thought of you being hurt or worse so far from me._

 _It would be the same if you were with me. You needn't worry though. I have a feeling I will very hard to kill._ Her grin was shark-like.

"Stop that, it's rude," Mel'rok grumbled.

"My apologies." Maria let their hands brush briefly.

"We need to start letting the rumors filter out that you are alive. But if your name is too much on the wind, then the emperor will start up his quelling again."

"Then we must let the rumors fly, but tell the people to use a different name than the one I was born to."

"You will go by the one Daniel gave you then?" Ke'thrala asked, surprised. "You will go by this Maria?"

She shook her head, the long black curls hitting her sharp cheeks. "I will go by the name that has become to me my true name, the one Daniel first gave me in his heart but didn't say out loud for he thought he didn't have the right."

"What is that then?" Franmarrow asked. Daniel felt tears sting his eyes. He smiled though when he met Maria's eyes.

"Hazel," he named her. "Hazel will live once more and win her people freedom."

* * *

Fighting a rebellion was perilous and exciting, Daniel was sure. But waiting to hear news of it and fretting well away from the action was proving to be a rather tedious affair. Ke'thrala, Franmarrow and Hazel had traveled with the caravan for a year and a day. Bel'rok wanted no part in the fighting, but she happily lent them use of her caravan to spread rumors and raise dissention along her trade routes.

Then one day the three had left to start the fight in earnest. Surprisingly-or maybe not so surprising in hindsight- Mel'rok rode with them at Hazel's side.

Daniel was left behind to wring his hands and to awake to nightmares alone in a small but too empty room. Bel'rok tried to keep him occupied and Daniel knew it was for her benefit as well as his. If she was worrying about him, she was not worrying about her eldest son.

"Will they marry do you think?" Daniel asked one day. He then flushed as he realized the question might be impertinent. "Can they marry?" That one was even worse.

Bel'rok chuckled though. "You noticed that, hm? I could not begin to say. They can't bond as you and your lordling did, so among her people it would be seen as an unheard of oddity or even obscene."

"That would not stop her if she really wanted to…to…"

"Nothing would stop that woman from a thing she set her mind on! If she wants to marry my son, she'll manage. I dare say us travelers manage marriage without the arcane melding nonsense and we've done it since time itself started to turn!"

"My kind too. I have told you before, I think. We just have a ceremony and a ring and then it is over." He twisted the ring he still wore on his finger. Bel'rok's eyes followed the movement, but she made no comment.

"I think our races the more practical ones then."

Laughingly, Daniel agreed. "Would you mind though? Having a…" _Having a daughter-in-law that might not be alive._ He was shamed that he had even thought to ask.

Bel'rok sucked her teeth in thought. "I would wager that she will not be able to bear children, but that silly rule of the eldest child carrying on the family name through their heirs has never been one we have adopted. I have always been of the mind that if my children are happy and are not being hurt then I shall be happy for them."

Daniel nodded, pleased with the answer.

"I want you happy as well, Dani'el. And I do not want any sort of hurt within you. But you still hurt, don't you?"

Shyly, Daniel nodded. "I think it is a wound that I will carry all my days. I am growing used to it though."

Bel'rok sighed. "All I can say is to give it time. You would be surprised how much a wound can heal when enough time has passed. I won't lie, it will still twinge on occasion and sometimes you will awake and it will be agony, as when it was first made, but then it fades again and you go on about your way." Her eyes were distant and Daniel wondered at the father of her children, at his absence. Shaking herself, she clapped him on the back. "Oo-luk! And then I wish to hear the some more of the tales you have gathered!"

* * *

In his mind Daniel had thought the rebellion would take a matter of months. He had truly awakened each day expecting to hear word from Hazel welcoming them into the capital to join in the celebration of their victory. When he admitted this to Bel'rok after the first year she had laughed at him.

"It is not just this world they fight for, Dani'el. There are so many worlds under the emperor's sway and those also must be reached out to, must join in." She touched his hand then and Daniel knew what swirled through his heart was also in hers. His sister and his two best friends were fighting a war that might as well be hopeless and so was her son, the child he was beginning to suspect was the one dearest to her.

Three years into the rebellion and signs of it were showing along their routes. They had to avoid some towns now due to their being too willing to shoot first and then question after, too zealous in seeing rebels amongst a band of weary strangers. Other towns were openly displaying the badge of the rebellion, the banner hanging from stone walls like bleeding wounds. The black bird on them was so much like the one that haunted Daniel's memories. Unlike the standard of Brennenburg though, this black eagle had teeth.

It was still troubling to wake up and hear no one's breath but his own. He often thought of asking Bel'rok if he could sleep on her floor or to take one of the curious creatures-strange crosses between dog and cat and hare-that helped herd the beasts into his caravan at night, but he was too shamed to ever do it.

He was having strange dreams of late. Each time he awoke he longed to roll over and confide in someone how odd they were, to have someone to ease him by listening to him. He usually fell back asleep after awakening though and in the morning they always seemed silly to bring up.

Perhaps not silly. Perhaps entirely too telling would be better put.

In his dreams Daniel was always alone, wandering the halls of a keep that was like Brennenburg but had the comforting air of his home of so many years with Rosyth. These dreams never disturbed him, but made him sad, lonely. He would walk the halls and trail his hand along the walls and hum bits of a melody that he had overheard in another life. And behind him, or sometimes just beside him, the humming song would be echoed. Other times his name would be softly uttered. When Daniel turned to look he would always be alone and if he stopped to let his follower catch him up, no one would ever come.

He had awoken one day after such a dream and he was in a melancholic frame of mind. He stumbled out of his room and down the wooden stairs, his bare feet sinking into the sand. He wiggled his toes in it, trying to ground himself in reality.

"You are up early," Bel'rok remarked, looking up from the breakfast fire she was trying to coax into being.

"Dreams." Daniel stretched.

She hummed, sucked her teeth and then went on in a plunge. "We are detouring a bit today. Going to head out to Val'laour from here."

Daniel rolled his head from side to side trying to banish a crick in his neck. "Val'laour? Why not swing up by the mountains? It is how we usually go. Are the emperor's forces camping out up there?"

"No, just I heard news from the townsfolk yesterday. The only reason we go up to the mountains is to get to Val'laour , but in truth the quickest way to it is to cut across the dessert from here."

"Then why have we never-" Daniel stopped himself as he brought up his mental map to study. "If we go directly from here we will pass through Rosyth's lands." He was breathless, his hands shook slightly and he clenched them.

"Yes." Bel'rok was at a loss as to how to continue.

"You do not think he will notice the caravan? He always has noticed you before." Daniel's voice was dry and bitter. He did not know how to feel and anger seemed the safest choice.

"He will not see us and he will not come out and there will be no confrontation. I can promise you that, Dani'el, my son."

"Why not?" Daniel's voice was that of a petulant child.

"What I heard yesterday. The keep is abandoned now. Worse than abandoned, it was torn down brick by brick. Either by the rebels or by the empire, the speaker could not say."

"And…And the lord of the keep?"

"Again, the speaker could not say. But if it eases you, I think it was abandoned long before it was breeched. It stood too long, withstood too many attacks. The only way it could have been breeched was if it had been forsaken."

Daniel closed his eyes, his hands no longer trembled. He took a deep breath and let it out slow. "Can we not pass within sight of it? I do not wish to see it so. It was my home and I loved it once."

"Dani'el, I had no intention of showing it to you. I do understand your heart, even if it is just a little."

She set about making up their meal. After a pause, Daniel knelt to help.


	36. Chapter 36

Bel'rok threw open the door of his carriage, startling him awake. "Bel'rok, what on Earth…" he muttered shielding his eyes from the bright morning light.

"The war, Dani'el! It's over!"

"What?" Daniel lowered his hands. The bed bounced as she sat beside him and showed him the letter she bore.

"It arrived this morning by hawk."

"Mel'rok sent it," Daniel said as he traced the familiar signature. "Where are they? How do Hazel and the rest fair?" He scanned the words to search out the answers for himself, but Bel'rok supplied them for him.

"They have stormed the capital and ousted the emperor. I assume since he made no mention of casualties, that everyone we know and love is fine."

"She lives." He once again touched the signature. He met Bel'rok's eyes and grinned. "As does your son! And Ke'thrala and Franmarrow…"

"I can scarce believe those damn fools have lived through seven years myself." She smacked Daniel on the back almost sending him flying from the bed. "Come. We must pack up camp and head out."

"To where, lady? We just arrived."

"Do you think that I'd miss out on the celebrations in the capital?"

"Surely not all will be celebrating. It seemed those that wanted a change in government were very much in the minority-"

"If those in the majority know what's good for them, they will plaster smiles on their faces and fake that they were part of that minority! They'd better with that sweet little girl as Empress now."

"Sweet little…You cannot mean that…"

"Who else would they have on that throne, Dani'el?" She flung herself up and out the door.

Empress. His Hazel. He wondered if that was what she had planned all along. Shaking his head, he banished the thought. She had never been power hungry. She had wanted freedom for her people and to lead them on a new path away from the violent debauchery they had clung to for centuries. This must have come as an awkward surprise to her as well. Empress now or not, Daniel longed to see his friends and his sister-in-spirit. He would never admit it, but life had trained him too well that everything tended to lead to tragedy; he had honestly believed that he would never see them again as he had watched the four ride off that long ago day.

* * *

Hazel's banners flew from every available surface as they rode into the capital. They clung to walls and streamed from roofs and windows. The city was awash in crimson. It all looked too much like blood to Daniel, and he wondered how much of it had had to be spilt for his friends to claim their victory. He shuddered and tried to dispel the gloomy thoughts.

Ke'thrala and Franmarrow were waiting for them on the steps of the palace. Daniel swung off Aeneus and ran to them. Ke'thrala's noble face bore a slash high on her cheek and her arm hung in a sling by her side. Franmarrow seemed unharmed save for a crack that crossed one lens of his glasses. They both grinned like school children when Daniel approached. He noted that they never once stopped holding one another's hands. "My friends! I am so glad to see you again."

"And we you, Daniel." Ke'thrala beamed. "We've won. The start of a new era! I never thought to see the day." She looked behind her at the castle, also bedecked with Hazel's banners.

"Are you badly injured?"

"We're fine." Franmarrow flapped his free hand in agitation. "But my library! They burned it down! Ruined it! My life's work!"

"They only burned down half of it, darling. We can rebuild."

Franmarrow harrumphed. "It won't be the same!"

"It's been burned down and rebuilt before. It was due in my opinion."

"Did the fire damage that…that lovely painting of its founder?" Daniel asked.

"History demolished! Gone forever, those barbarians!" Franmarrow wailed.

Ke'thrala dropped Daniel a wink and he sighed in relief. It would be so good to visit Franmarrow at work without having to see that awful woman at "play" every time he was about to enter the door. "The library will be up and running again in no time, my love," she soothed. "We have an empress in our debt now after all."

Franmarrow's only reply was to grind his teeth and glare off to the side.

"About that," Daniel began, "how is she taking it all?"

"Becoming Empress?" Ke'thrala asked.

"Like a child being dragged off to a bath!" Franmarrow cackled.

Ke'thrala shot her husband a glance, and then smirked. "That is about the truth of it. She didn't really expect to be crowned anything, especially not as soon as she stepped foot within the palace."

"And the old…ruler?"

Ke'thrala scowled.

"Best you talk that over with your soul-sister," Franmarrow said, gently touching his wife's shoulder.

"Maybe you can help her see reason!" Ke'thrala snapped. "Come, Franmarrow. I am tired and the pain grows."

"Time for your medicine then." He tugged her down the stairs, pausing when they were level with Daniel. "You will stay with us while you are here, won't you?" He looked unsure and somewhat shy.

"Of course!"

"Good." He sighed in relief. "It's just…seven years is nothing to our kind, but yours… I worried that…" His fingers skimmed Daniel's hair.

"What is it?"

"Nothing," Ke'thrala interjected. "It is nothing. Come along, Franmarrow."

"But…" He hesitated, and then with a worried expression, he followed his wife.

The exchange had been overly strange. Daniel wondered what it was about himself that had concerned Franmarrow so. Pushing it from his mind, he ascended the steps two at a time, eager to at last reunite with his oldest friend.

* * *

The interior chamber was thick with guards milling around, seeming unsure of where they should be or what they should be doing. Daniel was unwilling to open a mind link with any of them for he did not know friend from foe. He asked in the Traders' Tongue for the whereabouts of Hazel until he found a young woman who spoke it. She looked him over warily and seemed about to refuse him answer. Then she sighed and clucked her tongue. "If she doesn't want to see you, she can tell you herself. She's in the throne room."

"I guess that would be the sensible place for her to go."

The guardswoman snorted. "She didn't go there herself! It's where we stashed her until it sinks in that she's our ruler now! Do you know how many times she's tried to bolt!" She waved around herself. "That's why we're mostly here. Not to keep the emperor's supporters out, but to keep her in!"

"So you are those who fought with her then?"

The woman grinned proudly at that. "Yes, every single one of us."

"Then I must thank you for keeping my dear friend safe."

She blinked at that and then started. "Oh! You're…Oh, it's such an odd name. Dav…Dana…"

"Daniel."

"That's it! She speaks of you constantly! I think you are one of the main reasons she kept fighting. We must thank you as well."

Flustered, Daniel waved the praise away and bowed quickly. The throne room was easy to find. He tried not to notice the murmurs that followed him now or the appraising stares of the guards as they watched him wend his way through them. He had never thought that Hazel's rise would lend him some small amount of status as well. It was…unwelcome.

He debated knocking on the doors, but threw caution to the wind and threw them open.

"Danny!" Hazel turned to him, her face breaking out in a relived grin. "Shut those damn doors and come here!" She flung her arms open and hurried over to him. Daniel quickly met her. For once, her embrace was not the strongest one. "I have missed you."

"And I you, Hazel." He took a step back and held her at arms' length. "You have a uniform now." Come to think on it, it was the match of the ones the guards outside wore. The learther-ish, slightly scaled armor was black, though when it caught the light there was a slight rainbow sheen to it. Her gloves and boots were red, as was the piping that overlaid the seams of the uniform. Above her breast was a gold emblem of a fanged eagle. "It is very striking. An improvement over the old regime's!"

"Surprisingly, Franmarrow's idea." She laughed and held her hand over the emblem as if hiding it. "I find it too showy, but much better than what they tried to stick me in when they declared me Empress!"

"Was it really that much of a shock?"

"Of course! I never ever wanted… I thought we would decide by committee or…" She tugged at her hair-still the black wig Mel'rok had given her when she had ridden with the caravan. "You have to get me out of here!" She took Daniel's hand and led him to the back of the room. "I've spent the whole morning looking for a secret passage. I know the bastard must have had something of the sort in here. He was too paranoid not to have!"

Daniel laughed and gently reclaimed his hand. "Did you ever stop to think that your people might have made the right choice?"

"What?" She looked slightly betrayed.

"What people need after an upheaval such as they have had is a leader, and a well known and respected one at that. Yours was the face that led them to victory, that encouraged them when the night looked darkest. And yours is the visage that the other side feared and probably still fears. They made the right choice in you." He held up a hand to stop her protests. "But it need not be forever, Hazel. There will be a time where you can argue for another to take your place. You could even try to introduce elections like the ancient Greeks held to choose that new leader, but that is something for the future and not right after a civil war."

"Ancient Greeks?"

"I'll explain later. Where is Mel'rok?"

She scowled and threw herself down on the step before the throne. "He got tired of my whining and snuck off to visit with his mother."

"You cannot fault him for wishing to spend time with his mother."

"I can fault him for leaving me by myself! Do you know what he did when we won and then everyone started kneeling to me like idiots? He laughed! The fool." She brought her knees up to her chest and hugged them.

Daniel bit his lip. It seemed that Mel'rok had not changed over much. "So the emperor is dead."

"No." She rested her chin on her folded arms.

"No? Where is he then?" Daniel took a seat next to her.

"In the dungeon. I just couldn't…Not in front of everyone, not with him smirking up at me. It was too much like…like I would become him. I know everyone thinks it is either a weakness in me or that I am planning something particularly nefarious for him, but…" She shrugged.

"I see."

"Do you?" The look she gave him was so full of hope.

"I do, Hazel. I do. You did the right thing." He put an arm around her and she leaned against him.

"I know I have to do something with him. I can't just leave him down there to rot."

"You are Empress now. You can do whatever you want."

She laughed. "But even a reluctant empress knows that it's not a good idea to leave the old emperor alive while his supporters still abound."

"Maybe this would be a good time to try to introduce those committees."

"What do you mean?"

"Have your followers decide what to do with him. Have them vote?"

"And if they vote to free him?"

"Then exile him. Show them how different you are from him by honoring their choice."

"And if they choose to kill him with one of his horrific machines? It could cast us right back to what I am trying to free us from."

"There is no easy answer to this, Hazel. But if you do not want to hold the hands of your people every step of your life, you need to come to some point where you trust them to make the right choice by themselves."

She bit her lip. "I have time to think on this."

He smiled. "I think you have earned the time to relax, to celebrate and to catch up with your adopted brother before you have to even begin to ponder this dilemma."

She laughed and leaned her head against his. "I think you are right. Gods Below, I have missed you." She combed her fingers through his hair and watched the strands catch the light. "You have silver in your hair now. I didn't know your kind's hair could change color. How pretty."

Daniel smiled and tucked his hair behind an ear and out of Hazel's fingers. "Thank you."

* * *

The celebrations at the capital lasted months. The dancing and feasts made even the staunchest of the old regimes supporters enjoy themselves the tiniest bit. Just when the festivities were dying down, they were struck up once again by the marriage of their new empress to one of her most loyal traveling companions. If anyone thought the pairing odd, no one dared say so. Mel'rok beamed at Hazel's side, looking as if he belonged nowhere else in the worlds but at her side.

Daniel raised his glass at them and they returned the gesture. His eyes scanned the crowd until he found Franmarrow and Ke'thrala. Her hair was loose and she had her head on Franmarrow's shoulder. Franmarrow's fingers combed through the long strands of her hair as he read a book precariously balanced on several wineglasses. Daniel's smiled. The empty space at his side throbbed in time with his heartbeat. He stood and walked from the hall, hoping his absence would not be missed.

Everyone seemed to be celebrating the joining of their monarch with her true love. He did not spy one single sober personage his whole walk throughout the palace. He paused before fleeing into the gardens. There was one thing he had been curious about, and perhaps tonight when everyone was distracted would be the best time to attend to it.

The dungeons were easy to find; they were the only rooms not left unguarded. The guards recognized him and waved him to pass. "Are you sure?" he asked peering at the darkness beyond. One of the guards, an oddly portly gentleman with impressive mustaches, laughed. "I would think you the least likely to want him out." He spat to the side. "There are two more guards within by his cell. We'll send them word that you are coming."

"My thanks." Daniel stepped onto the first stair. He truly did hate dungeons.

"Why do you want to see him?" asked the other guard. He was younger than his companion. His eyes were gentle and he looked more a librarian than a guardsmen.

"I do not know. To say goodbye perhaps, to try to get some sort of peace."

The older guard nodded. "It probably won't do you any good. Nothing resolves as prettily as it does in stories. Whatever he has done to hurt you, will still hurt after you've had your say to him."

"That might as well be, but I have to try."

Daniel walked down the stairs. Turning the first corner, he lost the light and his heart seized up in fright. Taking a deep breath, he held his right hand up and willed flame to it. He sighed in relief as the blue fire sparked into life. No one knew that he had been practicing and had mastered this little trick. He thought of how he had once plucked a flame such as this from Rosyth's fingers and his heart pained him again. He continued down into the depths of the palace.

The guards had kept their promise and the two he met, looking surprised as he closed his fist over his flame as their torches came into view, stepped aside for him.

Daniel was disappointed that the emperor still looked as haughty and as beautiful as he had when he had lounged upon his throne at their first meeting. He did not cower in a dirty corner, adorned in rags. His clothing was clean and well mended, if poorer than had been his want. He sat in a chair, back straight, reading a book in the flickering light of a candle.

"I never thought to extend our lighting systems to down here. I thought torchlight added to the ambiance of the place." He clucked his tongue. "A grave oversight on my part. Hello again, Rosyth's little whore."

"Your majesty."

The emperor dropped his book on the floor and laughed. "I never thought to be called that again, especially not by you."

"I do not know your name, my lord."

"So well mannered and deferring still." He raked his long fingers through his hair. "It would have been something to have known you more privately. Too bad our most loyal murderer had to come home. Where is he, by the way? I am surprised he still lets you slip from his sight."

"You truly do not know?"

The emperor met his eyes and grinned. The torchlight turned his teeth red and Daniel shivered. The smile broadened. "The things I could have enjoyed doing to you. Oh well. There will be other lives than these. Yes, Daniel, I do know about the end of your sordid romance. Quite droll may I add." He stood up and paced the small confines of his cell. Daniel took a step back from the bars, well out of arms' reach.

"I am sorry it disappointed. I have wanted to see you from some small time now. To ask you something."

"Then spit it out. It might relieve my boredom."

"Do you know what became of Rosyth?"

His white eyebrows shot up. "You think I killed him?"

"I rode past our…his keep a few years back. It lied in ruins."

"And you blamed me. I did cast it down, I will admit. I had good reason to be angry at the family you bonded into, but the coward had fled well before my men razed it."

"Do you know-"

The emperor laughed and rested his hand on the bars of the door. "If I knew where he was hiding, I would have killed him by now."

Daniel met his demon-ish eyes and did not flinch. "How do I know you have not already killed him?"

"I have no reason to lie to you now."

"It would hurt me and that would give you pleasure. That would be reason enough."

He licked his teeth, and then clucked his tongue. "You're bonded. If he were dead you would know. It would feel like a sharp pain in your breast, a rending that would never completely heal."

Daniel raised a hand to his heart, and then looked up at the emperor. "How do you know? Have you ever been-"

"Gods no!" The emperor laughed. "It was how my mother described it as I ripped my father apart before her. That was entirely too much fun, by the way." He hung onto the bars and leaned back from them. "I miss those days. Becoming Emperor quickly became so tedious."

"I am sure the countless victims who died for your pleasure will be glad to hear that."

"Such venom hidden in you. You were wasted on that worm."

"I was happy with him," Daniel corrected.

"Hm." The emperor rested his chin in his hand, his elbow wedged between two bars. "You weren't happy for him for that long, were you? Barely two years together, not counting the ones you spent pining for him. Well, and it looks like you don't have much longer to spend in heroic sacrifice, away from your true love." A hand darted out viper-fast and flicked his hair.

Daniel shied back.

"He'll feel your death, little one, and I will howl with glee over it. His pain will be delicious."

"I left him."

"He let you leave him. The fool probably thought he was doing something noble." The emperor rolled his eyes. "Come now, _bonded_!" He banged his palms against the bars. "If he wanted to find you he could have years ago!"

"Then he does not want-"

"He wants. Trust me he wants. I saw the way he looked at you, the depths he sunk to to protect you. You were the only thing that ever made him brave. He would never have stopped wanting you."

Unease stirred in Daniel. "I think I have been away too long. They are bound to have noticed my-"

"Leaving me so soon? I had hoped I could seduce you. Or at least lured you close enough to the bars to rip your throat out with my teeth." He looked amused at Daniel's sudden pallor. "I will confess I have spent many a night wondering how your blood would taste."

"Sir, you are a monster."

He mock bowed. "I, at least, have never claimed to be anything other."

"I hope…"

"That my death is brutal and protracted?"

"No, I hope you find peace in whatever hereafter lies for your kind. Whatever life has done to you to make you…this…You have my pity, sir."

The emperor tilted his head to the side and studied Daniel out of cold, calculating eyes. "I'll take your pity. I don't think anyone has given it to be before. How novel."

"I really must be on my way. Goodnight, sir, and…goodbye." Daniel turned to leave and then froze as the screech of metal upon metal rang out behind him. The door to the emperor's cell had opened of its own accord. "This…" He thought back to Hazel's wedding taking place upstairs and then with a shiver remembered that it had yet to take place; it was scheduled for the week after next. The ease in which the guards had let him pass bespoke the truth of his situation as well. "This is a dream," he murmured, whirling to face the emperor leaning against the doorway of his prison.

"Yes. And no." The emperor took a step towards him and Daniel retreated.

"So we are meeting in a sense then? In our minds?" Daniel could not keep the distaste from his face, the thought that his mind was mingling with this monster's yet again…

"Funny how…realistic dreams can become."

"You are going to kill me."

The emperor's only response was a small smile.

Daniel raised his chin. "Why? I did not lead this revolt. I did nothing to you."

"It will hurt that little upstart. Won't that be enough? You said it yourself, Daniel. I like pain. And if I can leave the world inflicting one last wound…"

Daniel took another step back. The events of the real world were falling more into place, slipping through the crack of the dream-logic that ruled this 'world' he now stood in.

There had been a committee; Hazel had called it after announcing her nuptial plans. The purpose of that committee had been to vote on what should become of the city's most nefarious prisoner. The verdict had been for death and Hazel, mouth set in a grim line, had accepted her people's wisdom. There was one surprising condition that she had tacked on though.

"She said she would see out your execution herself," Daniel mumbled.

"Yes, I had heard. Little birds still find their way even into the deepest of dungeons. Why is that, do you think, that she will carry out my sentence herself?"

Daniel met his eyes. "She said that the Kin had had enough of rulers who would not dirty their own hands. She also said that the pain, the murdering, would end with her."

"Rather naïve, that."

"Perhaps. Even if it is impossible, I would rather live in a world where I can hope her vision will come true."

"You're proud of her."

"Of course I am."

"Well, let's see if her delusions of being better than her people's natures can live through your death." The emperor gestured and a cruel looking weapon appeared in his hand. He smiled broadly. "She won't be the only one to mourn you, you know. His pain…it would have been delicious to see his expression the moment he felt your death."

"You mean…Rosyth?" Daniel's back met a wall that had not previously been behind him. He tried desperately to wake himself up, but the dream held him fast. The guise of the handsome ruler dropped and Daniel saw the emperor in all his foul glory, the heart of his very soul was exposed. Daniel could not stop himself from whimpering.

An arm wrapped around Daniel and forced him behind the tall figure that seemed to have sprung from the blank wall behind him. "A pity I must deny you that pleasure. You won't be supping my tears this night."

"Ro… How?"

Rosyth spared him a glance, before turning his attention to the monster before them. The emperor seemed nonplussed, but only for a moment. His gruesome smile was back and the weapon morphed into something even more wicked looking. "Not whom I was expecting to face tonight, but beggars cannot be choosers. Blood is blood after all."

"And this was a long time in coming," Rosyth grimly said. He took a step to meet the emperor, his hands still bare of weapons.

Daniel grabbed onto his sleeve. "Rosyth, he still has power in him! He could kill you!"

Turning to give Daniel a tired smile, Rosyth placed a hand over his. "Daniel, wake up."

* * *

The news of the former emperor's death rocked the city. Most were disappointed that they could not attend the execution; it was Daniel's understanding that many a pretty party had been planned around it.

"How strange it all is," Franmarrow mused, feet propped up on his kitchen table as Ke'thrala attended to his hair. "Not a mark on him and the guards swore that no one passed them."

"Guards can be bribed," Ke'thrala said between the hairpins she held in her mouth.

"Perhaps it was some sort of psychic attack," Daniel said, picking at his breakfast.

Ke'thrala snorted. "There would be no way in the hells that cagey bastard would lower his mental defenses enough for that to happen."

Daniel made a soft, non-committal sound.

* * *

The wedding between Hazel and Mer'lok was moved up a week to feed her people's need for the thwarted parties they had been denied. Daniel stood by Bel'rok throughout the ceremony and pretended not to notice that she sniffled and dapped at her eyes occasionally. Hazel had chosen to be wed in her uniform-much to the horror of her people-but honestly Daniel could not picture her in anything more becoming. This was what she really was, what she would always be: a warrior. She had fought the entirety of her life for one thing or another and nothing would ever make her lay her arms down. The former emperor had been right: Daniel was so very proud of her.

Confused applause started up as Hazel and Mel'rok embraced in front of the gatherers. "It must be odd to them," Bel'rok said, "having a wedding celebration and one from the Travelers' tradition to boot.

"The bonding of the Nel'rum is always a private affair then?"

She snorted. "Not always, but thankfully mostly."

Daniel shuddered. "Hopefully that will be one of the things to change."

"I won't hold my breath that it will be soon."

"Change will come in its own time, and I have faith it will be for the good."

"Change…" Bel'rok mused. "I never thought to see it come in my lifetime. Especially when her first rebellion ended as it did."

Daniel smiled. "She did not even let death itself stop her though."

Bel'rok frowned and played with a bit of ornamentation on her dress tunic. "I worry for them. I am glad my son has found happiness, but…"

"But what?"

"It is as you say, Dani'el: She lives beyond death now. And my son is but mortal."

Daniel took her hand. "Do not fret over something we do not even begin to understand just yet. Perhaps she will age; perhaps she very well is immortal now. But they have years and years to be together, and no matter what the outcome…Look at them!"

Mel'rok had picked Hazel up and was spinning her around as the crowd murmured in shock to see their empress laughing like a delighted child.

"They will be happy. That I do not just believe or trust in, I know."

Bel'rok squeezed his hand. "Thank you, Dani'el."

Daniel cleared his throat. "Do your people plan to move on soon?"

"Yes, as much as it pains me to leave my son, the winds of the Waste call us."

"I would go with you, if you still want me that is."

Bel'rok laughed. "I would have thought you would stay here and enjoy the prestige of your new position as the empress's soul-kin!"

Daniel shook his head. "Then you do not know me half as much as you claim to! I miss the desert; I miss my wanderings…and my freedom. Everywhere I go there are petitioners trying to gain my ear thinking I will relay their requests to Hazel…It is driving me mad! I cannot walk without tripping over supplicants!"

"I knew you were one of the People at heart, Dani'el. Travel with us as you want, you will always be a part of my caravan."

Daniel smiled as she embraced him. "Thank you, my lady. And now we really must go forth and give our blessings to our relations!"

* * *

"I am so weary of dreams," Daniel snarled as he 'woke' to corridors. He took a step forward and then paused as an echo of his footfalls spattered behind him. "It is you, is it not? Have you truly been dogging my steps for all these years, never revealing yourself?" Daniel felt anger flare within him and tried to quell it.

He spun around and faced the emptiness. "Why? Why did you leave me?" _Because I wanted you to_ , he answered himself. _Because I asked you to let me leave and, after your anger had faded, you loved me enough to honor my wishes_. Daniel twirled the ring around his finger. "Rosyth, cannot you come stand before me?"

No reply.

"I have…been thinking. On you, on me, on…us. On what transpired both before we met and after. I think I know why you disliked my former self so much, or disliked what he changed into at least. He reminded you overmuch of yourself, did he not?"

Was the silence heavier than before?

"No one wishes to die, Rosyth. Everyone fears it and can be reduced into doing mad, ignoble things to avoid it. I will not say I will ever entirely forgive you for what you have done, but I do begin to under-"

A cold wind blew down the corridor almost knocking Daniel to his feet. He raised his arms to protect his face and when he lowered them he found himself awake and staring up at the ceiling of Ke'thrala and Franmarrow's guestroom.

* * *

"You will not stay? Nothing I can say will make you stay?" Hazel, destroyer of empires, clung to his sleeve.

"I have to, Hazel. My place is not here."

"You can't just leave me here alone!"

Daniel laughed. "You are hardly alone! You are surrounded by your subjects and you have your husband." He glanced at Mel'rok, giving his own goodbyes to his mother.

"He's not you, Danny. They don't know what I've been through, not really. Not like you do."

"And mayhap that is for the best. It is time for you to put it behind you, to move on."

"And you have moved on from your past?" Her tone was challenging. When she was piqued she looked so much like her brother. It took Daniel's breath away.

"No. But I am trying," he hurried to add, taking her hands in his.

She curled her fingers around his. "You will come back to visit me, won't you? My oldest friend."

"My oldest and dearest friend, of course I will." He hoped it was not a lie as he stood on his toes to kiss her cheek.

* * *

It was all too easy to slip back into the routine of the trails. Daniel once more wore the mantle of the caravan's tinker. The work was relaxing as it had been before, but it was beginning to chaff ever so much. He looked up from the journal he was scribbling in, the start of his second attempt at a book, and stared out at the horizon. There was so much more to see out there, whole worlds! Think of all the civilizations and ruins he could still explore and chronicle! Then he shook his head and, tucking his journal under his arm, he entered his home.

He sat down at the small desk beside his bed and made himself sort through his notes. His first book was apparently very popular in the capital now that his "sister" was on the throne. The second book was being eagerly looked forward to, and Daniel did not wish to disappoint.

* * *

Daniel paused as he opened his eyes to his dream corridors. He knew well enough how this started and played along. Again there was the slight sound as if something were following him, the slightest echo to his breaths as if someone were right behind him. Unlike his previous ventures though, he stopped and spoke to the emptiness. "I know you follow me, Rosyth. Will you not appear before me? Am I not owed the courtesy of seeing your face as I address you?"

Silence. Daniel closed his eyes. "Very well then." He concentrated and then spun around, his hand shooting out, grasping at air…and closing on sturdy flesh. "Oh, Rosyth," he sighed opening his eyes. Rosyth it was, looking down at his wrist which Daniel held in a loose grip. Surprise smoothed into blankness. Daniel had to smile at his control.

"You're still improving in your mental abilities, I see," Rosyth drily remarked.

Daniel chuckled and shook his head. "All these years and that is all you can think of to say?"

"You look…well."

"Really, Rosyth!"

Rosyth had the good grace to flush. "I meant, I always knew you would do well." The _without me_ , hung between them. Daniel let him go and Rosyth rubbed his wrist as if it burned him.

"So you have been following me all this time."

"Not following, not really. I have no idea where you are in the real world, I would never pry that far," Rosyth hurried to assure. "I…You deserve your peace. I know that. I only want to be close enough where you can find me, if…If you ever need to find me." He would not meet Daniel's eyes.

Daniel touched his arm. "Could you?"

Rosyth flinched. "Could I what?"

"Could you find me? If I wanted you too? If you…wanted to?" The ring on his finger caught the light from a nearby torch and Rosyth's eyes lighted on it. His expression became almost grim.

There was a pounding on his door and Daniel's eyes flew open. His dream dissolved into shreds with the morning light. He pondered the small fragments of the dream that remained to him as he opened the door. The dream had seemed important and something about it had reminded him of Rosyth… One of servants of the wealthiest merchant in the town they had encamped in front of was before him. The machine that controlled the temperature of the merchant's house had broken in the middle of the night and could Daniel please set it to rights? Daniel forced a smile to his face and turned to gather his tools.

* * *

It was an unremarkable day when he looked up and beheld the rider on the cliff. The lone figure, stark against the sky, arrested something within Daniel, and he rose to his feet as if entranced. The journal he had been scribbling in-the beginnings of his third book- tumbled from his fingers and into the sand. Glancing around he saw that he was the only one to remark upon the presence watching over them. When he turned back he saw the figure was gone. Had he imagined it then? He resisted rubbing his eyes, afraid that he would banish the rider to being nothing but a figment if he did. Instead he walked to the holding pen to fetch Aeneus, making pains to keep his stride even and unhurried.

On the top of the cliff was a cave and not a sign of another soul about. Daniel dismounted and cast around him in disappointment. Had it been his imagination then?

A whickering from the cave burst forth and Aeneus shook out his mane and answered. Daniel clutched at his mount's neck and resisted the urge to remount and gallop away. When nothing emerged from the cave to greet them, he took a cautious step away from Aeneus. "Hello?" He approached the cave, always on the edge of flight. "Is anyone here?"

The cave was dark and Daniel could not see inside. Gulping, he raised his hand and summoned the blue flame before plunging inside. He turned a corner and yelped in surprise as he saw the man waiting for him, seated on the cavern floor. His hand closed into a fist of its own accord and he plunged them into night. His breath tangled in his throat and he started to run for the sunlight when a hand closed around his wrist.

"Please! I need to… I need…"

"Daniel, calm yourself. It's me."

"Rosyth? Please, I cannot stand the dark, I need to…"

"Summon your flame again. Apparently you no longer need to be in darkness unless you desire to." Was that deep voice the slightest bit teasing?

Glad that the darkness hid his blush, Daniel raised his hand and summoned the blue flame forth once more. It lit Rosyth's angular features with an eerie glow. Rosyth stared into the flame, refusing to look at Daniel. "How remarkable," he murmured.

"Not really. All you people can do something like it."

The slightest of smiles formed on Rosyth's lips. "I wasn't talking of the flame." His eyes darted to Daniel's and then away. He took a step back and Daniel immediately noted the loss of his body heat. He shivered and forced himself not to follow after. "You had wish to speak with me?"

"Did I?"

Rosyth frowned. "In your dream-our dream- you had said…" He sighed. "Oh. I have made a mistake it seems. I will-"

"You will not." Daniel grabbed his arm as Rosyth tried to walk past him. "I…do not know if I have anything in particular to say to you, but…I did wish to see you again."

"To spit in my face?"

"Rosyth! Be civil."

"One of the last times we 'met' you compared me to a sniveling madman."

"And that sniveling madman was once me, you will remember. Rosyth, have a seat. Please."

A long moment's hesitation before Rosyth sat down on a curious ridge in the cavern wall.

"So…How have you occupied yourself since last we-"

"You did not summon me from across the world for banal chit-chat, surely?"

Daniel huffed. "You will remember I asked you for civility." He paused. "I wrote another book."

"I know." Rosyth studied a scuff on his boot. "I read it. I thought it very good."

Daniel could not help the smile blooming on his face or his pleased flush. "Thank you. It appears to have sparked a lot of interest among the Nel'rum, I mean, your people. Groups of amateur anthropologists and archeologists are springing up. Franmarrow says the library has never been busier!"

An awkward silence again fell upon them. Rosyth coughed. "That is...nice. I have done nothing as fruitful with my time. Mostly trying to keep beyond the reach of the emperor when he was still in power and protecting..." He coughed again.

"You killed him." When Rosyth did not reply, Daniel gently prompted further, "Why?"

"He would have killed you."

"Again, why, Rosyth? We are no longer together."

"And do you think merely that would stop me from-" Rosyth stood and began to pace. He halted and glanced down at Daniel's left hand. Rosyth's smile was mirthless. "I have always tried to do what was best for you. I know that it might not seem so, but I did. I…" He raked his hands through his hair and sat beside Daniel once more.

"You said once that I was the only one you had ever loved."

"I did."

"I think it a lie."

Rosyth took his hand and played with the ring that adorned it. "Banish the light."

Daniel jumped. "Rosyth, you know that I cannot!"

"Please, I think what we must say to one another will go easier if we had the anonymity of darkness."

Daniel gulped. "You will…You will keep hold of my hand throughout."

Rosyth squeezed his hand. "If you want me to."

Closing his eyes and drawing a breath, Daniel made a fist of his hand and cast them into shadow.

"You shouldn't try to humanize me, Daniel."

"I am not. I only see what is there. You said you loved no one besides myself, but I know… You love your sister."

Rosyth snorted. "And I showed it in a pretty way!"

"You kept her alive the best you could. If you had let her live, truly live, the emperor would have caught the both of you and killed you. You did what you could."

"You are still so hopelessly naïve, my love. You called me a monster once and there was a time I might have pretended to be other, but that time has passed now." His fingers twirled the ring around and then started to take it off.

"No!" Daniel drew his hand back and clutched it to his chest.

"Daniel, it is time for you to be free in truth. Give it to me, give it back to me. Go on your journeys and write your histories. Visit the capital and your Maria and forget the darkness that came before it. Forget me."

"I do not want to."

"Daniel," Rosyth's voice was exasperated.

"No, wait! I do not know how you came to be here, but I am…happy for it. I have…missed you."

Rosyth snorted. "You have a new life now. An empress for a friend and a world eagerly following your literary adventures. You have everything you wanted, everything that you deserve."

"There was a time I thought I deserved you."

Such a bitter laugh answered that. "You never deserved me. I see that now. And I love you enough to wish to see you happy and to see you could never be happy with-"

Daniel placed a hand over his mouth. "I think I am best to judge what makes me happy."

"A dilapidated keep in the middle of the Waste with a man who murdered his family and turned his sister into an abomination? That is not befitting of you, Daniel."

"I was happy with you though."

"At first. Then you...grew up."

"Only me?" His fingers found the pulse in Rosyth's wrist and pressed against it. "There was a time where you threatened to keep me locked up should I ever try to leave you. Times where your jealousy and temper ran so hot it frightened me."

A sigh in the dark.

Daniel continued, "Yet I find out that you have had the means to find me for years now and left me alone until I asked for you. Am I the only one to grow, Rosyth?"

"And if I had, what then? It changes nothing. We are not meant-"

"It seems that your only concern is for my happiness or my lack thereof. If I were to tell you I see a way that I could have you and my happiness and my freedom?"

Quiet in the cave.

"I know…that you have committed unpardonable sins, but I have as well!" Daniel plunged ahead to interrupt Rosyth's protests. "And as I grow older I realize that I cannot judge anyone, I have not the right. My kind is not as long lived as yours, Rosyth, and even if we were…" He fumbled for Rosyth's fingers. They lay cold against his own and he tried to rub warmth into them. "I do not want to be alone as more years pass. I do not want to be without you, and I know it might seem selfish, but…I believe that after all I have been through, I am owed some selfishness."

Rosyth gently tried to take his hand back, but Daniel proved stubborn. He finally gave up and curled his fingers around Daniel's. He must have leaned forward, for Daniel felt his breath ghost across his cheek. "Even if you have earned your selfishness, I have not earned mine. I treated you horribly. I have done such horrors. I do not deserve-"

"Then see it as your penance!"

A small laugh against his face. "Watching over you for a lifetime, a penance?"

"I can make it one," Daniel challenged. Rosyth took hold of his chin and tipped it up the slightest bit.

"I have no doubt that you will." His lips met Daniel's and Daniel sank against the other man. When they parted it was not far, Rosyth kept hold of him and their noses brushed. "Bel'rok will never allow me to accompany the caravan."

"I know. You made me a promise once. To show me worlds. Does that still hold true?"

"More books you wish to write?"

"Yes."

Rosyth laughed and pressed a kiss to his brow.

"Yes, I will show you worlds, if that is what you wish. We will wander the stars until you grow tired of them."

"Then show me, Rosyth. Show me the multiverse, stay with me until I die. No matter how many worlds there are, if you aren't with me in one of them then they mean no-"

"Hush." Rosyth kissed him, but Daniel pulled away.

"I did try to forget you, to move on, but I could not. Every moment I wondered what you were doing at that exact instant and, oh! How my heart ached when I saw what had become of our home! No matter what you've done, I cannot stop-"

"I said hush," Rosyth chided, kissing him more firmly and this time not letting him wrench away.

When they finally parted, Daniel was breathless and flustered and entirely too happy. "Where should we journey to first, my love?" he asked, pulling Rosyth's arm around him.

Daniel swore he could feel Rosyth's smile light up the darkness. "I know the very place."

* * *

"It is just as beautiful as in my dreams!" Daniel marveled darting from one crystal to the next.

"Did you think I lied in our dreams?" Rosyth smiled as he watched Daniel.

"No, well, I thought you may have exaggerated a bit." Daniel crouched down beside an azure stone and held his hands up before it, watching the glow light his palms.

"I finally kept my promise," Rosyth said as he knelt beside Daniel.

Daniel smiled at him and nudged his forehead with his own. "You always do keep your promises, I am finding out."

"Look, this is a change from your dreams: You have a reflection here." Rosyth stroked over the smooth surface of the stone, over the perfect mirror of Daniel's face. Daniel's smile froze. He did not like seeing his face overmuch these days, the wrinkles that were beginning to form in the corners of his eyes, the streaks of grey in his hair. He forced himself to laugh.

"It occurs to me that the keeping of promises should be rewarded." He wrapped his arms around Rosyth's neck and drew him down.

"Should it?" Rosyth feigned surprise, but his golden eyes danced.

"Oh, yes." Daniel smiled as their lips brushed.

* * *

"Do you ever think of Maria?" Daniel asked as his lover lazily stroked his body as they lay before the fire.

"Yes, every now and then."

"And what do you feel, when you think of her?" Daniel asked leaning over Rosyth.

"Pride."

Daniel raised an eyebrow. "I guess she could be seen to be your greatest creation. Going on to become Empress, conquering death itself, ecterea." He let himself drop down onto Rosyth's chest and smiled as the other's arms rose to embrace him.

Perhaps I will have another someday, another marvelous creation." Rosyth carded through Daniel's hair, pausing to tweak a strand of it.

Daniel laughed. "Perhaps you will, but let them be of more lovely aspect than the majority of your constructs have been."

"If I dare try my hand at invention again, I promise it will only be on the loveliest of specimens."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, I had to end with the creepy. I tried for fluffy, but it didn't really ring quite right... I am so sorry for the long delays in this story and thank you so much for those of you who are still reading this. Thank you so much for your reviews, comments and support and I am so sorry I was not able to reply to you all as I used to do. My health has taken a really nasty turn and I spent a great deal of July in the hospital. I hope the quality of the story didn't suffer from these long hiatuses and I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. It's been quite the adventure writing this, and I really do hope that Rosyth and Daniel have their happy ending, even if Daniel might be an undead construct in that happy ending. I hope that you will see more stories from me in the future, especially Amensia-ish ones. I am looking forward to A Machine of Pigs! This is getting rambling, but just...Thank you. I couldn't have written this much or gotten through this tough time in my life without all of you.


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